The Dark Squire
by CloakedDragonWing3721
Summary: Dick Grayson's parents were murdered and he was taken by the Court of Owls when he was five. Batman rescued him when he was eight, but the Talons took something from him. Five years later, the Court of Owls want their Gray Son back. And they will kill anyone who stands in their way. Part 1 of the Knighthood Universe. Complete. Look out for The White Prince and The Blue Knight.
1. Caged

**A/N:** Congrats to you who voted Talon AU (about 80% lol) I chose this one! I will be writing the Genderbent AU at the same time as this one, and as soon as I finish (and I plan to put in a oneshot series after the ten-to-twenty chapter story I'm planning) I'll post the genderbent one. Shadowymoon suggested having a genderbent Talon AU, but I have two distinct storylines planned, so… no go. Sorry! No pairings other than the given Spitfire and Supermartian, though I think I'll have the Batwing (BatgirlXNightwing) pairing in the oneshot series. This chapter is buildup. We'll start season 1 next chapter! Except, not! You'll understand around chapter-three-ish!

It was cold. And bright. Too bright. Hurt his eyes, even through closed eyelids. The cold was a presence, freezing him, invading his pores. It hurt. He couldn't move. That was awful. _He couldn't move_. For him, the lack of movement was torture. If he could have hyperventilated, he would have. But he couldn't. He was completely controlled.

The owl-men had done this. He had glimpsed one that day before, slipping into and out of Pop Haley's trailer. Then it was performance time. He was only five, not allowed to perform without the net yet, so when it was removed for the grand finale he had been told to go back to the platform.

He had, but now he wished he hadn't. A knife flashed by. It snipped one rope, then another flew through the air and sent his family crashing down. _Oh god_.

They were gone. They couldn't save him. He wanted to join them in death, leave this cold hell. But he couldn't. And it was cold. And bright. Wait, now he was thinking in circles.

The owl-men had taken him. Grabbed him, tied his hands and feet. Two of them. They blindfolded him. They carried him with care, almost gently, so when they had put him in the cold… It was a complete surprise. It was cold. And bright. Too bright.

His hands were still tied, he could still feel the rope holding his ankles together. And it was cold. And bright. Too bright. They had taken off the blindfold. He wished they hadn't. Darkness was better than the awful bright cold.

It was so _cold_. And _bright_.

 **000000000**

They took him out. He saw the owl-men. He had no blindfold. They strapped him down to a gurney. He didn't struggle. There was no point. They had taken him out of the bright cold, that was all he cared about.

But this… this was worse than the bright cold. The scientists with white owl masks had put electrodes on his chest. They had needles. Lots of tiny doses. Two owl scientists injected a tiny vial inside of his neck. Little tiny needles. But they hurt. They pricked him. Over and over and over again.

But it was worse. The electrodes would shock him and it _hurt oh god it hurt so bad but they won't stop and his insides are burning and his outsides are freezing and oh god make it stop_!

Two tiny pricks at once, and a simultaneous shock. So many times. He heard an owl scientist say 'fifty' and then they detached the electrodes.

He was wheeled into a blinding white room and left there, cold and hot and _hurting_. Strapped down to a gurney. And Dick cried.

 **000000000**

They called Dick Talon. They called the owl-men who had taken him Talons, but Dick was _the_ Talon. They made him train. And train. Then they would strap him back down. If he refused, they would beat him. The Talons. The people with owl masks just watched. His wounds healed quickly, but the beatings hurt.

And Dick talked. They hated that. They hurt him when he talked. But Dick would never stop talking. They couldn't make him stop.

Until they did.

They wheeled him into the shocking room. Dick nearly freaked out, but there was no needles. Well, there was one. It knocked him out.

When Dick woke up, something was wrong.

There was something in his throat. Cold, metal. It didn't impair his breathing, but there was something wrong. A Talon came forward, said that he had left them no choice. That they had taken his voice.

Dick went to protest because he was fine, he could talk. But he couldn't. He opened his mouth, and nothing came out. The cool metal in his throat suddenly seemed icy.

 _Ohgodhecouldn'ttalkhelpletmetalkI'vegottotalkhelpmeplease_!

But nothing came out. And nothing ever would.

Now that they had perfected him, they didn't call Dick Talon. They called him the Gray Son.

 **000000000**

Another man stepped in to train him. His name was William Cobb. He was Dick's great-grandfather. Dick couldn't do anything but nod. They all kept calling him Gray Son. They had tried to make him kill someone, but Dick had adamantly refused, not caring how badly they hurt him. Dick was eight.

 **000000000**

The Bat came. He sent the Court running. Great-grandfather had grabbed him by the arm and tried to drag him along, but Dick summoned his courage and fought back. He was _not_ going to be leaving. Batman was a hero. A superhero. Dick's parents had told him that superheroes were good. Batman would help him.

Batman caught up to them. He threw batarangs at Great-grandfather, hitting him in the wrist and forcing him to let Dick go. Batman battled Great-grandfather, forced him to flee, with a venomous promise to find Dick, or the Gray Son, as they called him.

Batman dropped to a knee in front of him. "Richard? Richard John Grayson?" Dick nodded, surprised. Batman knew him?

Batman kept talking. "I've been trying to find you for a long time, Richard. Would you like to stay with me?"

Dick nodded eagerly. He could get away. _He_ could get away. He _could_ get away. He could _get_ away. He could get _away_!

Batman laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It's all right, you can talk."

Dick helplessly opened his mouth, then closed it. He pointed a finger at his mouth to try to get Batman to understand.

Batman understood. "You can't talk?"

Dick nodded silently.

Batman looked furious and sad all at once, and Batman was angry on his behalf. Then he calmed down. "All right, Richard. Let's get in the plane."

Dick picked up a stick and wrote in the dirt… the amazing dirt he hadn't seen in years.

 **Call me Dick.**

Batman smirked. "All right. Come on chum, let's get you home."

 **A/N:** Again, thank you to all who voted! For the (probably very few) people who read Real Son (a RA fanfic) I'm working on it! Promise! I think I may be able to post it at the same time as this chapter… probably not tho. It's pretty late. Anywhos, Dick's mute (maybe with a few exceptions) which is why this AU will be nothing like the others. Well, actually, there's one in the Batman Comics category that's called Who We Were where Dick has aphasia… but Dick doesn't have aphasia, he's mute. Looking at the other chapters… all I can say is thank god for mindlinks. I think Dick and Bruce are so mentally attuned to each other that they don't need comm links, and the Team uses mindlinks, so… there's that. Sorry about the massive A/N.


	2. Opaque

**A/N:** *Ducks for cover as rotten tomatoes sail over her head* HEY GUYS WASSUP? Yes, I know this chapter is basically a rewritten ep 1, but do not fret, my lovelies! This story's about to turn right instead of left, drive off the beaten path, and drop off the cliff of doom! And seriously, I was expecting way more reviews. Seeing as you guys voted for this story, I expected way more feedback. I do listen to you guys! You're my inspiration! Don't let me fall into the pit of writer's block!

The glow of warmth Robin felt when Batman put a hand on his shoulder felt amazing. It meant that Batman was proud of him, happy that he was slowly overcoming his issues. Robin didn't use excessive force much anymore, and he didn't flinch if someone touched him. He still hated being touched, but it was better. Batman smiled down at him. "Today's the day."

Robin was about to reply when Flash and Kid Flash showed up. "Aww, I knew we'd be late! Hey Rob!"

Robin smiled and signed back to him. Hi Kid. Batman hadn't been able to figure out a way to remove the device in Robin's throat, so he stayed mute. Kid Flash was his best friend, and had speed-memorized an ASL dictionary just for him.

Speedy and Aqualad looked a bit uncomfortable. Neither of them knew sign language, which was fine, but they clearly felt awkward.

Speedy was pitching a fit. Honestly, Dick didn't see what he was whining about. Dick trusted his mentor completely, and he knew that Batman would never do anything to hold him back. Dick didn't need to be held back. Actually, Dick was just as good, if not better at taking down bad guys. Batman's job was teaching him restraint and healing him.

Speedy was addressing them now. "They're treating us like kids! Worse, like sidekicks! We deserve better than this!" Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad exchanged looks. Speedy looked even madder. "You're kidding, right?! You're playing their game?! Why?! Today was supposed to be _the_ day! Step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League!"

Kid Flash looked really confused now. "But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ."

Robin felt like smacking Speedy when he said, "Except the Hall isn't the League's real HQ! I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists, and a pit stop for catching zeta tubes to the real thing… An orbiting satellite called the Watchtower!" Oh, please. Robin had nearly been raised on that satellite. Batman hadn't even needed to tell him, Robin had easily hacked the triple encrypted files on the Batcomputer.

Batman, Robin, and the League members all glared at Green Arrow. "I know, I know, but I thought we could make an exception! Robin knows!"

Batman's glare intensified. "That's because Robin found out on his own a week after he came to live with me."

Green Arrow looked cowed. "All right, sorry."

Aquaman stepped forward. "You are not helping your cause here, son. Stand down. Or-"

"Or what?! You'll send me to my room?! I-"

Speedy's rant was interrupted by Kid Flash laughing at Robin's sign. Nah, he'll have to wash that cheap knockoff of the Batmobile, sorry the _Arrowmobile_. Kid Flash was doubled over laughing while Aqualad tried his hardest not to smile, even though he didn't know what Robin had said. A rare tiny smirk adorned Robin's face. Get a grip, Speedy. Be thankful that your mentor trusted you with one of the League's most guarded secrets. He clearly was wrong. Batman told Speedy what Robin had said, and Speedy's face turned an interesting shade of red.

"Oh, come on! You can't tell me that you wished Batman treated you better, that he-" in an instant, one of Robin's birdarangs sailed past Speedy's face.

I will always be grateful for Batman saving me! Kid Flash placed a gentle hand on Robin's shoulder. "It's all right, Rob. He didn't know." Green Arrow whispered what Robin had said in Speedy's ear, while the League looked stricken. Batman looked terribly sad.

"Chum, it alright." Robin looked down sadly.

It's alright now. As long as… As long as they stay away.

Batman smiled, something he did rarely, but it was slightly bittersweet, as if all he wanted was to hurt the Talons for doing this to Robin. It made Robin's insides feel warm. Warm, like the Batcave. Dark. Different from the bright cold.

Everyone jumped as Superman appeared on the screen. "Superman to Justice League. There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

Batman made his way to the controls. "I've had my suspicions about Cadmus. This may be the perfect-" Batman was cut off by an incoming message from Zatara.

"Zatara to Justice League! The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to block out the sun! Requesting full League response!"

Batman looked conflicted. "Superman?"

"It's a small fire. The local authorities-"

Batman shook his head. "I've got a better idea. We'll meet you in a second." Batman turned the computer off, then faced the three protégés. "Your actions and loyalty have impressed me. While I think I speak for all your mentors when I say I do not want any of you on a space mission just yet, I'm sending you on a mission. Well, I'm sending Robin, Aqualad, and Kid Flash on a mission. Speedy, you have proven yourself too immature and childish to be granted an unsupervised mission."

Speedy threw down his hat. "Fine! All I wanted was a little respect, but I clearly won't get it with any of you!" He spun on his heel and walked out.

Green Arrow turned on Batman. "You didn't need to-"

Batman scowled. "Yes, I did. If he wants to throw a tantrum, he can do it somewhere else. Robin, Kid Flash, and Aqualad, you will be investigating Cadmus. If you haven't come back by midnight we will rescue you. Robin, you can get the files on Cadmus from the computer."

Aqualad nodded stoically. "We will succeed, sir."

The Leaguers began filing out of the room, the mentors flashing approving looks at the three boys. Flash leaned towards Martian Manhunter. "Don't you wish you had brought your niece?"

"Indeed."

Batman paused on the way out. "Kid Flash, I expect you to translate Robin's signs for Aqualad. Aqualad, please learn as much ASL as soon as possible so you can understand Robin in the future. Good luck." Robin studied the floor. He hated that Aqualad was being made to learn ASL because of him.

Aqualad seemed to understand what Robin was thinking, and smiled gently at him. "It's nothing, Robin. I was going to learn American Sign Language if Batman hadn't requested it."

A hint of a smile appeared on Robin's face, then disappeared. Thanks. Come on, I'll hack the computer. Kid Flash looked confused. It was a regular expression on his face.

"I thought you had the passwords?"

Robin rolled his eyes. Nope. League members only, and the passwords change monthly. Of course, I helped design the software, and it's basically the same system as the Batcave. Robin plugged in his glove and KF and Aqualad watched in awe of the scrolling letters.

"How are you doing that?" Robin just shrugged. His hands were busy. Robin finished and unplugged his hologlove.

Let's go.

This is a high-speed express elevator. It does not belong in a two story building.

"Neither does what I saw." Kaldur pried open the elevator doors with a grunt. Robin used his grappling line to travel as far down as he could, then did a neat flip onto the door level with him. As Aqualad and Kid Flash slid down the rope after him, Robin hacked the door in seconds and they all ran through.

Robin hacked into the terminal. Triple encrypted… But he could hack it. Robin paled, then he turned angry. His snarl was nearly feral, and Aqualad and KF exchanged worried looks.

Superman's clone… A _weapon_. No. He was just a kid, being forced to be a monster. Almost like he was. He was going to free the clone, or die trying. Robin disconnected from the terminal and started running towards the elevator.  Come! Kid Flash and Aqualad followed.

They ran past a creature that threw barrels at them using telekinesis. That didn't matter. The map Robin had found told him that Project Kr was down the other hall anyway.

Robin ushered Kid Flash and Aqualad into the room and shut the door behind them. Aqualad breathed heavily. "Where are we? Why did you trap us inside?" Robin simply signed, come.

Robin stopped in his tracks when he saw Superboy. Project Kr. Superman's clone. I'm saving him.

Kid Flash looked at Robin cautiously. "Maybe we should contact the League…"

Robin snarled animalistically. They're turning him into a living weapon! We have to save him!

Wally suddenly understood. "Oh, dude. Does he remind you of… Yourself?"

Robin looked down and nodded. The files I hacked earlier told me that the creatures on top of the… Container have telepathic abilities. They could be controlling him. Robin threw three birdarangs, hitting all three G-Gnomes simultaneously and knocking them out. Robin placed a light hand on the foggy glass of the pod. They did something similar to this to me. But I was awake. And it was cold. And bright. Too bright. Robin seemed to go into a daze during the last three sentences, then snap out of it. He rushed back to the computer and the pod opened.

After a few seconds Superboy woke up, eyelids fluttering confusedly. "W-what's going on? Who are you?"

Kid Flash held his hands out placatingly. "We're friends, we just want to help. The Justice League sent us."

A strange emotion crossed Superboy's face. "The Justice League? Like… Like Superman?"

Aqualad nodded, cautious as ever. "Yes. We would like to help you escape."

Superboy hesitated. "If I leave, could… Could I see the moon? And the stars? And… Maybe meet Superman?"

Robin stepped forward from his position at the computer. Yes. And you can be free. You won't have to be a weapon. You can be a person. Kid Flash quickly translated and Superboy agreed.

About an hour and a half later, the four young heroes stood to attention as the Justice League descended. Superboy was about to rashly declare what he was, but Robin laid a gentle hand of his shoulder and motioned for him to step back.

Robin stared straight at Superman. The (sorta) human wasn't the one who flinched. Uncle Kal, this is Superboy, your clone. He didn't ask to be created, and is on our side, so don't screw anything up!

Superman reluctantly nodded his agreement and turned to Superboy. "So, you're… My clone?" Superboy nodded cautiously.

"Yes."

Superman took a deep breath. "Okay. Come with me, and we'll get your living arrangements sorted out, okay?" A tiny smile broke Superboy's face, and the two supermen strode off to speak with Black Canary.

Robin hissed as his dislocated shoulder began trying to heal. Without warning, he slammed himself into the wall to pop it back in place before major damage happened, while Batman caught him when Robin almost fell over. Batman sighed and brushed Robin's hair out of his eyes. "You should let me do that."

Robin smiled tensely. Sorry. Habit. The Talons hadn't exactly healed Robin's wounds for him. The two bats realized that everyone was staring at them, then stiffened. Batman cleared his throat.

"Your mission was a success. Congratulations. We will discuss sending the three of you on more unsupervised missions in the future. I would like the original seven League members, the mentors, and the proteges to meet at Conference room C of the Watchtower. Dismissed." And with that, Batman lead Robin to the Batmobile and drove off. Yes, Batman had just ordered around and blown off the JLA like it was natural. Which it was.

Nothing new there.

 **A/N:** So… Yup. That happened. Again, I realize I'm sticking close to canon, but beginning next chapter, I'm ditching canon. 100%. Wish me luck. Shoutouts!

Dratias: Hey, pen pal! Umm… it has been ages! As is explained in this chapter, they can't get the device out of Dick's throat. I love how you said 'that was horrible of the court' and I was like; yep, blame the court, not me! Lol. I'm mean to our little bird. About the A/N thing, I've had a lot more reviews saying it's funny and they enjoy it than people telling me to stop, so I'm gonna keep doing them. I feel like it's my signature and it helps people connect to me easier, and you know how important communication with my readers is to me. And I honestly don't care about how professional I seem. I'm still working on HPA, but the thing is, when I came up with that I didn't understand a _lot_ of the integral story elements (ex: the Dick/Dami dynamic, Bruce's views, Lazarus pits, Ra's personality, ect.) and I'm now ironing out the kinks. Plus, I currently don't have the stamina to write a story that long. I'm working up to it. And yes, I read Red Kryptonite Contingency, and… I love that story. Eek, I'll stop, this is way too long! I'll pm you later.

JustMe: As I said in my reply to Dratias, writing those little notes helps me feel like I'm not being a distant writer who you know nothing about. If you don't like them, skip over them. And before you say I can't take criticism, the little notes thing is something that's been debated by my readers before, and I've found that the majority of my readers enjoy them. I really don't try to use the A/Ns to explain stuff, per se, but… I dunno. Add what I was thinking at that point? Besides, if you're thinking my story's real, maybe you need a reminder that it's not! Jk, jk.


	3. Untold

**A/N:** And this is where the plotline completely deviates from YJ. There won't even be a Mount Justice. LOLZ! This is where I spit on the ridiculously complicated and awesome plotline that we all know and love, and make up my own. However, there will be the Light. It's just… well, read. Btw, I have the headcanon that Robin is B01 instead of Kaldur because he has been to the Watchtower (many times) and already had his own code. Note: I'm not using quotation marks for Robin's ASL, because he's not really speaking. I'm just underlining. Please tell me if the underline isn't working, if it isn't I can change to bold. This is underlined.

The Light was meeting in Bialya, in one of Queen Bee's soundproof conference rooms. Vandal Savage was standing up and raging against Luthor and how foolhardy he had been to keep Superboy so close to the Hall of Justice. Then, he gurgled and blood spilled from his open mouth, the point of a silver throwing knife sticking out of the front of his throat. Savage slumped forward on the dining table. He wouldn't be resurrected for a little while.

What caught the other members of the Light's eyes were the handle of the knife, carved in the shape of an owl.

A man dressed in armor like an owl and a man in a suit and delicate white owl mask stepped out from behind the drapes. The man in the suit spoke. "Hello. I am the Grandmaster of the Court of Owls."

Ra's al Ghul sneered at him. "Oh, it's you."

"You know zis man?" asked the Brain.

The Demon's Head scowled. "Yes. He is one of my competitors."

The man in the owl mask laughed lightly. "No, no, Mr. al Ghul. I am not your competitor. I have assassins, true, but my Talons only kill who displeases me, not who they are paid to." Luthor stood up and braced his hands on the table.

"What do you want?"

The Grandmaster gave off the aura of someone smirking. "What I want, Mr. Luthor? I want the Court of Owls to rule Gotham, as we are rightly destined to. I want power. But to achieve what I want, I need my weapon, which was stolen from me by the Batman." Ra's al Ghul gasped softly, a rare amount of emotion from him.

"I suspected… but… is the Detective's little bird…" Both men tensed suddenly, anger written all over their postures. The Grandmaster replied, while his Talon remained silent.

"Our Gray Son is NOT the Batman's! He is the property of the court. Mark my words, he _will_ be shown his place."

A light (hehe) of understanding dawned in the assembled villain's faces. Oceanmaster voiced the entire group's thoughts. "Robin? The Dark Squire is your missing weapon?"

The Grandmaster nodded stiffly. "The Court of Owls has passed judgement. The Justice League and all it's allies are sentenced to death for their crimes."

Ra's al Ghul suddenly grew angry. "The Detective is mine, and mine alone to pass judgement on!" At the same time, Luthor said, "I would love for you to kill Superman for me…"

The man in the suit nodded sharply. "Fine. Death is too easy a punishment for the Batman anyway, for defying us. After the rest of the Justice League has been executed, he shall be put in your custody, Ra's al Ghul. As for the rest of you… well… Savage has proven himself to be incompetent to lead this alliance of supervillains. I propose that he be thrown out, and instead I and the Court will lead you to victory. It is to my knowledge that Vandal Savage planned to put the entire Justice League under mind control, but instead, I offer you the chance to kill them, and rule over the Earth. Luthor, you would be given Metropolis and everywhere in North America but Gotham. Ra's al Ghul could have the Middle East and Asia. Queen Bee could have all of Africa. The Brain would be given dominion over South America. Oceanmaster, of course, would receive the seas as his reward. Klarion could cause as much chaos as he desires in Australia. And the Court would rule Europe and Gotham City. Much more than Savage ever promised."

Each member of the Light was subconsciously nodding their heads. Klarion clapped his hands gleefully and grinned. "Well, then, let's dispose of Savage and get to work! I can't wait to kill Zatara and get my hands on the Helmet of Fate! And Australia! Think of all the Kangaroos I could terrorize!"

 **000000000**

Richard awoke with a silent scream as he came out of his nightmare. Recovering quickly, and knowing that he wouldn't be sleeping anymore that night. The boy padded downstairs to the Batcave, glanced at his beloved trapeze, then decided that he wanted to try out the rings instead. And so Robin practiced until Bruce stumbled downstairs to find him. Bruce was not a morning person. He was dressed in a robe, and had a bedhead, along with a mug of coffee gripped firmly in his hand like a lifeline. He looked blearily up at the boy flipping over and over.

"Dick? Did you have another nightmare?" Dick dropped to the floor, looked away from Bruce, hesitated, then nodded shamefully. Bruce sighed. "Oh, chum. Why didn't you come to me?" Dick's eyes remained fastened on the floor as he signaled.

Didn't want to be a baby.

Bruce sighed and began leading his son back up the stairs for breakfast. "Believe me, chum, you're not a baby. You're one of the bravest people I know. Tell me next time, okay?"

Dick nodded, agreeing. Bruce's face suddenly lightened. "On the other hand, we've got the meeting at the Watchtower to look forward too. Maybe we can arrange for you to see more of Kid Flash…" Dick's eyes predictably lit up at the discovery, and he started signing quickly, asking for Wally to visit.

"We'll see."

 **000000000**

" _Batman 02, Robin B01"_

Batman and Robin walked stoically through the Watchtower. Well, Batman did. Robin signed hi at a few of his favorite Leaguers, like Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Hawkgirl. They all waved back in response.

They entered the conference room, and all the mentors and proteges were already there, with the exception of Speedy, but Green Arrow was there anyway. Even Superman was there, though he looked a bit nervous around Superboy. Batman assumed a place at the head of the table, with Robin to his right. The Dark Knight pulled up a holographic display.

"I have come up with a plan for the young heroes. You have proven yourselves reliable and capable, and so have earned the right to be your own, League-sanctioned team. You will meet at the Watchtower, and this room will serve as your briefing room. Superboy will stay here, as Superman is currently living on a reporter's salary in a one-bedroom apartment, and doesn't have room. The rest of you will stay with your mentors. In addition, Martian Manhunter's niece, Miss Martian, will join the team as well. She will be staying in the Watchtower, as her uncle is also living in a smaller apartment." Robin smirked at Batman's carefully disguised (but obvious to him) distaste for his fellow Leaguer's living conditions.

Apparently, Superman had sensed his derision as well, and muttered; "Well, we can't _all_ be multi billionaires with an international company and a mansion." Robin had to let out a few soundless snickers at that comment, which Batman pointedly ignored.

"We will leave you to get acquainted." And with that, the mentors left. A girl with freckled green skin and red hair shuffled into the room nervously.

"Hi. I'm Miss Martian. But you can call me M'gann. Or Megan, because that's an Earth name, and I'm on Earth now. Obviously." M'gann tittered nervously and a few others joined in.

Kid Flash grinned confidently. "I'm Kid Flash, that's Superboy, the guy with gills is Aqualad, and Mr. short, dark, and broody is Robin!" Robin promptly sent a batarang over Wally's head that sliced off a few pieces of hair. KF yelped while Robin smirked and Megan and Conner wondered whether this was typical behavior from Earth children. Kaldur just sighed, used to their shenanigans.

Miss Martian blushed. "Um… what can you do? I haven't been on Earth very long, and I haven't been briefed… I don't really know anything about you." Kaldur smiled kindly at her.

"That's all right, M'gann. I am Aqualad, also known as Kaldur. I can control water, limitedly, and I have extremely thick skin and superstrength. I can also breathe underwater." Superboy grunted.

"I don't know the full extent of my powers, but I can superjump, I have infrared vision, superstrength, and I'm nearly invulnerable to everything but kryptonite."

Kid Flash gave Miss Martian a winning grin. "I'm Kid Flash, or Wally West, and I have… superspeed! And super fast healing! Oh, and I have an accelerated metabolism, so I have to eat a lot!"

Everyone turned to Robin, who smiled shyly, and signed to Kid Flash, KF, I don't think Miss M knows sign language. If you could… um… introduce me? Remember, my secret ID is confidential. Kid Flash grinned at Robin, then looked back at everyone else, who was mildly confused.

"Since a… um… accident (Robin snorted. It was most definitely not an accident) when Robin was little, he's been completely mute. Like, no noises whatsoever. And no one's been able to fix his voice. Anyway, Robin's ID is confidential until Bats gets over his paranoia and overprotectiveness (cue elbow in the ribs from Robin) so there's that. He communicates via sign language. If you could learn that… Bats and Robin would be pretty grateful. Umm… Robin's a top acrobat, sorry, aerialist, martial artist, he throws birdarangs, is a brilliant hacker, is trained in strategy, and has a… healing ability. He's not a meta, though. Oh, and he's a ninja spy dude, who can sneak up on basically anyone and will probably be putting the stealth in our stealth team. Oh, and he has an entire arsenal of weapons and plans and stuff in his utility belt. I got everything?" That about covers it.

The rest of the team looked shocked. M'gann asked, "how old are you?"

Kid Flash answered for Robin. "Thirteen, but he's been training since he was born, by various people." Robin glared at Kid Flash, his anger obvious. KF! You didn't need to mention- Wally raised his hands in self defense. "Sorry, sorry! Me and my big mouth! I said nothing!"

Everyone else shook off their shock. Kaldur turned to M'gann. "What can you do, Miss Martian?"

M'gann blushed (again). "Umm… I can't density shift yet, that's an advanced technique, but I can fly, go into camouflage mode, shapeshift… but only girls so far, guys… don't work. Oh, and I obviously have telekinesis and telepathy."

Robin suddenly looked excited. Can you do a mindlink?! Kid Flash translated, and Miss Martian nodded. "Yes, why?"

Robin just sent a pleading look at KF, who knew what he wanted. "Robbie wants you to set it up so he can talk with us, mind-to-mind! Dude, that's a great idea!" Kaldur looked interested, and M'gann looked excited, but Superboy suddenly turned from sulky to furious.

"No! I don't want anyone else in my head!"

Miss Martian looked a little hurt. "The mindlink won't let me read minds, just communicate. I can't take control of your mind, and I can't hurt you. And it just feels a little weird at first… it doesn't hurt, I promise!"

Kid leaned over and stage whispered in M'gann's ear. "Cadmus genomes left a bad taste in Supey's brain. It's not your fault."

Robin tugged on Superboy's shirt to get his attention. Please, Superboy. I haven't talked with anything but my hands in years. Please.

Kid Flash winced. "Bro, that is really sad." addressing everyone else, he said, "Robin says that he hasn't been able to actually talk in years. Please, guys? I kinda want to hear what my best friend sounds like too."

Superboy looked down. "Fine. But NO poking around in my head!" Miss Martian nodded briskly as Kaldur also agreed, and her eyes glowed green.

" _Mindlink established."_ Everyone winced, but otherwise it was fine.

" _C-can you guys hear me?"_ Robin asked.

" _Dude, I can hear you! Wow, you've got a nice voice."_ Kid Flash answered. Robin looked to be on the verge of tears.

" _Thanks, guys. So, so much. You have no idea what this means to me. Anyway, there's also a practical purpose to this. I can't exactly use a comm link, so this is a good way of communicating on missions. Plus a mindlink can't really be hacked or overheard!"_ Robin beamed at his idea as everyone else quickly agreed (except Superboy, he just grunted assent).

Aqualad frowned. " _How do you and Batman communicate on missions, my friend?"_

Robin rubbed the back of his neck. " _Well, we make a plan, and several backups beforehand, and we don't really need to talk on missions anyway. I guess working and living with him since I was eight did it. If I absolutely have to, I type a message on my holocomp and send it to Batman."_

Superboy hmmed. " _Even I gotta admit, that's pretty cool."_

Robin beamed. " _Aww, thanks Supes! It's nothing."_

Batman smiled as he watched the team interact via security camera, quickly figuring out what they were doing when they went silent. Maybe this would work. However, if something happened to Robin, they would all regret it.

 **A/N:** Batman, stalking your kid is bad. Can anyone imagine Bats stalking his kid through the cameras on his first day of school? Oneshot idea! Anyway, thanks for all the lovely support! Oh, and I kinda have a debate about my A/Ns every single story, so I'm used to it. Shoutouts!

JustMe: I honestly think it's not that distracting, but whatever, you're entitled to your own opinion. If you don't want to read my story, it's really up to you. Sue me for being slightly peppy and enthusiastic. And what you said about it being like someone interrupting during movies… I do that a lot. Thanks.

Skyywardsongx: Please tell me if you can't see the underline, I'll change to bold if it's not working. Thanks for being understanding about the little line breaks, I try to keep them brief and I can see if I can stop spoiling stuff or commenting about the plot. And thank you for leaving such a kind comment! (I'm getting a bit sick of criticism, if ya know what I mean!)

Aquarica: Hmm… where I take it… actually haven't thought that out beyond lots of kidnapped Robin and Daddybats and ANGST! And no non-canon pairings, and Robin won't have a girlfriend (yet). Thanks so much!

Rainfall04: Thanks! It is really nice to know that someone actually enjoys my comments! This chapter answers what the team knows, the original JLA members and GA and KF know everything, but nobody else! All everyone else in the JL knows is that Robin's mute, is Bats's son, and has a pretty nasty past which you shouldn't mention. And my headcanon is that Robin can use his Battraining to block out telepaths anyway, so yeah, he can protect his mind pretty well (that'll be important later!). It's ok, questions are fine! Thanks for your review!

Guest: It's not a collar, it's an implant in Robin's throat. And heck no, half the plotline is the fact that Dick is mute! The implant's there to stay! Hehe… I love torturing Robin.


	4. Radical

**A/N:** There is a poll on my bio for my next story. Vote, vote, vote! Anywho, sorry this took so long. If anyone has ideas for the story, feel free to tell me! Can anyone guess what the meaning of the titles is? I swear there's a pattern. Anyone who figures it out gets virtual blue cookies! And I'm working on a Halloween oneshot for my oneshot series with the ridiculously long name that I can't remember right now. Oh, and I fixed the underlines.

Within moments of deploying in Santa Prisca, Robin disappeared. Aqualad's words came back to him. " _Robin will use his stealth to scout ahead and report back via the mindlink."_ Robin peeked through the leaves, running across the treetops nimbly and completely silently. He peered through a clump of broad leaves and spied two groups of people heading towards each other.

 _Robin to Team, there are two groups of armed hostiles converging. I have identified the uniforms as those of Kobra cultists and Bane operatives. I advise allowing the two groups to meet then attempt to negate the damage. Orders?_

Robin could sense the other's confusion at his formality, but Aqualad had been trained more formally as well, so he was able to slip straight into 'mission mode.'

 _Agreed. Attempt to minimize the damage and keep the two groups from killing each other if possible, but do not risk your life. Try to keep them from seeing you. Everyone else, converge on Robin's location._ Kaldur barked his orders, then sprinted towards Robin's coordinates. He would need help.

Just before the two groups began shooting, a creepy cackle rang out. All the men immediately scanned the forest around them. Bane and his cultists began murmuring to each other, "Robin. It's Robin! The Bat's Shadow! He's here!" in terror. Another cackle rang out, this time from the opposite side of the road. Immediately gun barrels snapped in that direction. A man standing close to the edge of the road, one of Kobra's cultists let out a scream of terror as he was dragged into the shadows. Everyone else whirled around to where the man used to be, and the process kept repeating until the Kobra and Bane operatives banded together in a tight circle.

Bane called out, "Come out, Robin!" Another cackle answered, and a clearly freaked out cultist turned to Bane.

"Why doesn't he tell us what he wants?!"

Bane just smiled grimly. "He never does. No one ever sees much of him, but he's definitely _there_. He's been spotted at a lot of Justice League functions, but he sticks close to Batman, who doesn't let him talk to anyone. He's never been recorded saying a single word. Well, he cackles. And sometimes you see a flash of red or yellow before you're knocked unconscious. He's more of a mystery than Batman is." At this, another cackle was heard, but it was from _behind_ them.

Before the last man was knocked unconscious, he caught a glimpse of a yellow 'R' on a circular black background.

 **000000000**

When Bane woke up, he was tied securely to a tree. Beside one of his soldiers, who smelled. Bane ignored that, and focused in front of him. He then mentally freaked out.

Robin was _right there_. _Right there_! The shadow that all of Gotham hunted for his connection to the Bat, and his skills was _right there_.

Kid Flash, Aqualad, a kid in a black T-shirt with a Superman logo, and a green-skinned girl were there too, but that wasn't as important.

Robin noticed Bane's awareness and cut off Aqualad and KF's strategizing. Bane's awake. Kid Flash and Aqualad snapped their attention to the drug lord.

Bane was still shocked. "El petirrojo…" (that means Robin, if Google Translate is to be trusted)

Robin rolled his eyes and turned to Kid Flash. Translate, will ya?

Kid Flash eyed Bane. "Does he know English? Because I have a C in Spanish class for a reason…"

Robin smirked. Ha. I have an A in French. What the teacher didn't know was that I was already fluent… anyway, yeah, he knows English. Anyway, tell Bane that unless he talks, I'm going to drive him mad, then cut off his nose, ears, and eyes and feed them to the bats in the Batcave.

Kid Flash grinned evilly as Robin casually fiddled with a very sharp birdarang. After he translated, Bane looked scared.

"Look, niños, I don't know anything!" The birdarang was embedded next to his ear with a smooth flick of Robin's wrist. "Okay, okay! All I know is that Kobra took over my factory and is using it to infuse my venom with something called Blockbuster!" Robin plucked his weapon from beside Bane's ear, and strode over to Aqualad to make a plan.

 **000000000**

A bunch of explosions, a sabotaged helicopter, and a few mil in damages later, Robin was getting his butt kicked by Kobra. Well, the flicker of surprise when they began fighting was gratifying, but Robin wasn't stupid. He was losing. Then again, Robin's job was to delay Kobra, not defeat him.

The self-proclaimed god hesitated when he saw Robin's teammates approaching. "Another day, little owlet. Another day. Perhaps then you'll be fighting as my ally, instead of my opponent." With that, Kobra vanished into the undergrowth like the snake he was, leaving Robin stricken.

Robin put aside his horror as his teammates surrounded him. Kid Flash eyed him. "Dude, are you okay?"

Robin smiled shakily, not minding the other's confused faces. Later. Right now, we need to go back to the Watchtower.

On the way back to the Watchtower, M'gann was burning with a question, and finally decided to ask it. "Robin? How come you can laugh?"

Robin's words were spoken by KF. I had a bad run-in with some Joker venom when I was eleven… I still can't do anything else besides that crazy cackle, but it's pretty cool. The thing in my throat is enchanted and highly advanced tech, so we have no idea what happened with the Joker venom, I was just able to laugh, all of a sudden.

 **A/N:** That's a wrap! Sorry this took so long. I'm physically and mentally exhausted. Do you like my new bolded format? Okay, I'll quit blabbing and do shoutouts.

Rainfall04: I'm trying to be original, so thanks! Um… yeah. As for the team being curious, right now, KF knows everything, Aqualad is too polite and respects Batman and Robin too much to pry, Superboy doesn't especially care, and Miss M is too scared of screwing up to ask. When Artemis comes in though… and Zatanna isn't the kind of girl to take no for an answer. Same with Rocket.

Aquarica: Yeah, Bats is overprotective, but I don't think Robin minds since he knows it's Bruce's weird way of showing he cares. This chapter is pretty similar, but it's going down next chapter.

MagicWarriorDragon: May I just compliment your fabulous name? It's amazing. Anyway, thanks for your flattering comment! I love Wally and Dick's bromance. I have not read those stories, but thanks for the recommendations, I'll definitely check them out! And I've fixed the underlines! I'm on a roll here! (Not)

Unlucky Alis: The kangaroo thing is gold. I crack myself up sometimes (a lot). Oh, Vandy was revived in a few minutes, and he got kicked. So now we've got a pissed immortal dude on our (my) hands. This is gonna be fun. I was laughing at myself too when I was writing Batsy's subtle scorn for his friend's bank accounts. Everyone stresses how Bruce isn't spoiled, but if you think about it, he kinda is. Not annoyingly spoiled, but definitely used to wealth. Just sayin'.

Skyywardsongx: Aww, shucks! Thanks! I do try for originality… and I've fixed the underlines! Hallelujah! And y'know what? I'm gonna have the characters go for a drink (nonalcoholic, they're minors lol) at some point, just for the lulz!

Fly1ng Grayson: I fixed the underline, and I will definitely be putting in a lot of Dick's home, school, and random encounters with annoying reporters, because that's always hilarious. And thank you, I fully believe that the mark of a great author is the ability to make a reader crack up one moment, then be completely serious and empathetic the next.

Rieharper: Amen! All the good stories were abandoned years ago! It's so frustrating! And thanks for calling me great! I have zero experience or knowledge of ASL, so if I screw something up somehow, _please_ scream at me! I would appreciate it so much!


	5. Tactless

**A/N:** I got bored of writing plotty stuff. So, I decided to cover what was going on with Robbie during the Fate mission. And yes, the comics say that Robin was throwing giant diamonds off of large structures, but this is an AU. And my sorry excuse for being late is at the bottom of the page.

Robin didn't particularly like or dislike Artemis. She was from the League of Assassins, but he was cool with that. Robin had no room to talk, after all, with his connections to the Court. She knew ASL, which was asterous. Kaldur and Superboy now knew the alphabet, and Megan was starting to learn, though she wasn't very good. Because Martians were telepathic, the idea of speaking with your hands was completely foreign to her.

Anyway, Artemis. Kid Flash didn't really like her, mainly because Roy had showed up, gotten Wally's hopes up about being on the team, then stormed out again. Robin didn't hold it against her. That was just Speedy being… special.

Artemis's brash, arrogant attitude irritated Robin, though. Robin constantly felt as though he had something to prove (even though Batman assured him he didn't), but he didn't blatantly advertise it. Artemis's little comment that she had said to M'gann about 'where she was from, challenging everything was the only way to survive' confused Robin a bit. That, along with a comment about how kidnapping Dr. Roquette 'sounded like the shadows' made Robin want to ask her whether she _wanted_ everyone on the team to know who she was.

Artemis's comment about challenging everyone confused Robin in another way, too. The Court based itself around subservience. The Court impressed upon the Talons that they were their masters, and had complete control. Great-Grandfather became very angry when he was questioned. Did Sportsmaster simply want his daughters to have independence? Or did he fail to impress the importance of being servile? Robin couldn't figure it out, so he let it lie. He wouldn't want anyone asking him why he was trained to obey orders without thought.

 **000000000**

Robin collapsed on the sofa at the Watchtower. He had been late to school, got the usual dose of bullying for being a "mute retard" and had been cheered up a bit by Babs, then he went to Wayne Enterprises and got held at gunpoint along with Bruce and had to stall until security arrived, and on top of everything else he went to a stupid gala to be bullied even more by adults. Then there was standard patrol, and now Robin was at a sleepover at Mt. Justice.

Suddenly, a voice was heard from behind Robin. "Hey, uh, Robin." Robin's reflexes took over as he was startled and in milliseconds he found himself pinning Artemis to the ground, holding her down by an arm twisted behind her back while the other hand held one of his sharp birdarangs at her throat. Once he realized what had happened, Robin immediately released Artemis and tucked the birdarang back into his belt.

Sorry. Bat reflexes. Don't try to sneak up on me. Of course, it wasn't Bat reflexes. If it were Bat reflexes she would be pinned down without the very sharp birdarang. It was Talon reflexes. But there was no way he was telling Artemis that.

Artemis laughed nervously, sizing up Robin. "Sorry, I do that sometimes, too."

Robin raised an eyebrow at her. Shadow reflexes? Artemis looked like she was having a heart attack.

"W-what are you talking about?"

Robin stared at her. I'm the partner of the World's Greatest Detective, and I'm privy to all his secrets. Besides, Batman wouldn't let me on a team without doing an extensive background check of each member. I know for a fact that Ollie doesn't have a niece, so I checked out what Batman had on you. Don't worry, I won't tell.

Artemis recovered and sent him a glare. Cute. He lived with the guy who had invented the prototype Batglare and used it on Batman, and Batman himself. "Don't. Tell. Anyone."

Robin rolled his eyes. Well, if you don't want anyone to know your past, stop dropping hints. I could have figured it out without the background check by now.

Artemis cocked her head. "Hints?"

Robin gave her his patented you're-an-idiot look. Does 'sound like the shadows' ring a bell? Or, 'where I come from, challenging everyone is how you survive?' not to mention the fact that you let Cheshire go, I'm not blaming you or anything, but you do realize that you didn't have to let her go? We would accept you anyway.

Artemis tossed her hair with contempt. "Oh, really? Besides, she's my sister! What would you do if one of your family members was a villain?"

Robin snarled noiselessly, and the intense look on his face made Artemis step back. I'd leave him to rot. With that, the thirteen-year-old vigilante spun on his heel and stalked off. Kid Flash passed him on the way in and spotted Artemis's shocked look.

Wally walked up to Artemis. "What did you say to him?"

Artemis shook her head slowly. "I-I just asked if he would arrest a criminal if it were one of his family members. He got that look on his face… he said he'd leave them to rot… and he just walked away."

KF stared after Robin. "Huh. He likes you."

"LIKES ME?!"

"If he didn't like you, he would have threatened you or stabbed you somewhere non lethal but painful."

"NON LETHAL BUT PAINFUL?!"

Wally stared at Artemis. "Look, I really don't like you, but I'm going to give you some advice. Don't mention family to any of the members of the Justice League. Most of their families are dead or evil. Or constantly used against them as hostages. Rob's story is… particularly hard. His parents died in front of him when he was young, and he was disowned by his mother's family. His father's family… did worse than disown him. If Batman hadn't… well… it's not my story to tell. My point is… don't pry about family. You'd probably be pretty safe with the Hawks, Wonder Woman, us Flashes, and the Green Lanterns, but don't push your luck."

Then Wally left Artemis looking rather lost in the living room.

 **000000000**

By that evening, Robin had recovered enough to look Artemis in the face. It seemed like they had mutually decided to pretend that didn't happen, and Robin was fine with that. Robin looked down at the Team sleeping on the floor of the Watchtower living room.

Wally was drooling and moving his legs slowly, as if he was running in his sleep. Artemis had shifted over and had ended up snuggled beside Wally. M'gann and Conner had ended up sleeping holding each other's hands by accident, which was… cute? Was that the word? Robin didn't do cute. Aqualad looked stoic and commanding, even in his sleep.

Robin himself was perched on a support beam in the ceiling. For some reason, being up high soothed Robin. The only places he could manage to relax enough to sleep was Batman's bed and the big hammock draped with blankets until it looked like a nest that functioned as Robin's bed. There was an elegant four poster bed there for appearances, but Dick's hammock hung in a bay window, the top of the ceiling high enough to give it space.

So Dick was sleeping on some pillows and blankets in the rafters, keeping a diligent eye on his snoozing team. He knew he wouldn't get any sleep tonight, but that was alright. He would watch over his friends. Even though they were in the heart of the Justice League, Robin knew that no place was completely safe.

 **000000000**

The next morning was nice. M'gann cooked breakfast in the JL kitchen, Conner helped her, Artemis and Wally were freaking out about how they had slept next to each other, and Kaldur tried to reign in the chaos.

Robin sat and watched the chaos. It was noisy. He couldn't decide whether or not he liked it. The noise was irritating and sometimes made Robin want to hunch down and curl his cloak around him, like a bird, but something stopped him. Even though they were noisy, _too_ noisy, Robin liked the normalcy. His parents had been bright, and happy and loud too. But that was years ago. Now all Robin could remember of them was their colors, their red uniforms, his mother's blue eyes, his father's green, and their hair, golden and black. Robin couldn't remember the people, though.

Bruce was his true father. He was the only one who Robin could remember. How could you call someone 'father' when all you could remember of him was a smudge of black, red, and two green eyes?

Robin preferred Bruce's steady quiet to the noise. He liked to just feel Bruce's and Alfred's presence in the manor and be around them. Even when they talked, Bruce and Alfred had caught onto Robin's sensitivity to sound. It didn't handicap him, but Robin was hyperaware of sound and Bruce and Alfred tried to speak softly around him to help.

As a matter of fact, Robin was hypersensitive to most things. Taste wasn't much of an issue, but Robin could smell, hear, and see far better than a normal human. Part of it was Talon training, part of it was the healing solution running through his veins. Robin was so sensitive, that sometimes he could swear that he sensed motion around him on his skin. Those skills had saved him in the field more than once.

"Hey, dude, come down!" It was Wally.

Robin sent him a small smile. I'm fine, thanks.

"Crazy bird." Wally muttered, and jumped as Robin laughed silently.

Yes, Wally. I'm a crazy bird.

"Your hearing is ridiculous."

You could say I have owl ears. Robin wore a wry look as he signed that.

"Dude, not funny. Not funny at all." Everyone else looked confused as Robin looked warningly at Wally.

I'm not made of glass, Wally. I'm fine.

Wally frowned. "Still." Everyone turned to the giant screen on the wall of the Watchtower living room as the signal came in for an incoming call. Robin jumped down and clicked it, and a picture of Ra's al Ghul appeared.

Ra's.

"Robin." The immortal lord smirked.

What do you want?

Ra's al Ghul's smile disappeared. "An… ally has asked me to do a favor for him. Please accept my apologies for this." With that, the Demon's Head clicked a button and owl screeching noises filled the air.

Robin stumbled back, eyes wide and mouth open in a silent scream. Wally ran forward and caught Robin as he fell, clutching his hands over his ears. And the owl noise continued, Wally yelled, "turn it off!" M'gann rushed to the console and tried to shut it off.

"I can't!"

Wally desperately clung to Robin, who was now shaking. "Get Batman!"

Aqualad was out the door, running for help. Kid Flash turned to the screen. "Why are you doing this?" He asked desperately, "you want Batman to join you… this'll hardly make him like you!"

Ra's actually looked regretful. "Apologies, young speedster, but this was a necessary evil. Ah, I would have liked Robin as Batman's heir, and by extent, mine."

Robin's eyes were now shut tight with his mouth moving, soundlessly calling for help in his native language, Romani. Batman crashed through the doorway and snatched Robin from Wally's arms, pulling his cape around the thirteen-year-old and cradling him. Robin immediately curled into the embrace, latching onto Batman's arm and resting his head on the bat symbol on Batman's chest.

Once Batman knew Robin was secure, he looked up at the slightly regretful villain on the screen and snarled, "Turn. It. Off." Ra's nodded and clicked the button again, and the cacophonous screeching halted.

The Demon's Head gazed at Robin, who had stopped shaking and was now simply asleep, but holding onto Batman for dear life and mouthing words. "Apologies, Detective. I wish there had been another way."

Batman growled. "Another way to do what?"

"Make you see the _Light_. I wish you luck. Oh, and a message from an… ally; No Talon escapes The Court. Guard your little bird well, Detective. I pity you both." The screen turned off, leaving one grim speedster, an unconscious boy, a worried father, and a small group of confused kids. Superboy stepped forward.

"What was that about?"

 **A/N:** I'M SORRY! I have a legitimate excuse! I write mostly on my phone, right? Well, I had most of this chapter written, and I'm like: imma post this tomorrow! And then, I put my phone in my jacket pocket, tied my jacket around my waist, got in the car, edge of jacket hangs out of car door, CloakedWing slams car door shut, _crunch_ goes the phone. I shut my phone in the car door. Lol. On the other hand, this is a nice, long chapter. And my little sister (RangerPeach) and I began watching Flash yesterday and… omg. All da feels. And then my mom goes: no TV until your homework is gone, and I try to overthrow the house government in favor of anarchy and protest for fangirl's rights, but that goes nowhere. What a dictator. RangerPeach needs to HURRY UP so I can watch Flash! Aaargh!

Aquarica: Yes, Robin's cackle is a must. And after this is finished, I'm starting a oneshot series in the DS universe which will probably tell exactly how Robin's cackle works.

SapphirexRosesxFanx: Uhh… thanks? I try to make it interesting.

Shadowcat500: BINGO! Have a virtual cookie! Now try to guess what I'm spelling…

Rainfall04: Oh, don't worry, I loved answering your questions! Sorry this took so long! XD

MagicWarriorDragon: I get the feeling. My name incorporates 3 or 4 fandoms, plus some random math. Thanks so much for reviewing!

Emmyskipy: I am continuing! NO STORY LEFT BEHIND! Y'know, except for that one Rise of the Guardians one that I deleted… XD


	6. Oaths

**A/N:** I got a review with a lot of great questions, and this will answer a bunch of them. Hopefully. Plus, we get to see what exactly happened to Robin last episode… BIG NEWS! YOUNG JUSTICE IS BACK, BABY! WOO! SEASON THREE IS A GO! If they don't bring Wally back imma kill someone… in a fanfic of course… but it will not be pretty. And Nightwing needs to take over from Aqualad again. Permanently. And I need lots of Nightwing. I literally don't care about anyone else on the show, except for possibly Aqualad, Batman, Wally, and Batgirl. Sorry, I'm not a big fan of Tim. He always feels so… unoriginal. Ooh, imagine if Red Hood was in this! That would make my life! And if Dami's in it… pretty sure I'd faint. Onto business: since you people seem to despise my line breaks so much, FINE! YOU WIN! HAPPY?! If you want the old (more fun) line breaks back, I will resume them if I get 5 reviews asking me to reinstate them. That's the deal. Killjoys. **Edit:** Oh, lookit, I changed the linebreaks again. Nobody could see them.

Martian Manhunter and Batman stood above the unconscious Robin, laying on a hospital bed. Batman turned to Martian Manhunter. "J'onn, can you tell what's wrong with him?"

The Martian's eyes glowed green, then faded back to normal. "Yes. It appears that The Court has implanted a trigger in his mind so that if he hears a certain sound, it'll cause something similar to a panic attack so he can be shut down. I assume this is a countermeasure to the powers they gave Robin, all The Court would have to do if Robin was attempting to escape is play the sound throughout the building, which would cause him to collapse."

Batman looked worried. "He never said anything about this."

Martian Manhunter put his hand on Batman's shoulder. "If he knew about it, he would, old friend. I doubt Robin knew it existed. The fact that the voice inhibitor in Robin's throat is enchanted suggests that The Court has a magically gifted person on hand, the same person could have implanted the trigger without Robin being aware. Besides, Robin has said that they did many awful things to him. The invasion of the magician or telepath into his mind could have been dismissed as another meaningless attack, simply made to punish or hurt him."

Batman's face twisted with pain under the cowl at the thought that Robin wouldn't be able to distinguish a painful mental attack from everyday life. "Is there a way to remove the trigger?"

"Yes, but since evidence suggests that the trigger is magical in nature, I will need Zatara to assist me."

As J'onn turned to get Zatara, Batman halted him with a hand on his shoulder. "Old friend, I have avoided trying to use magic or telepathy for this problem for fear that it would only worsen the situation, but is there any way you or Zatara would be able to remove Robin's voice blocker?" J'onn turned back to Batman, face as stoic as ever, but underlying sadness easy to detect.

"Perhaps we could have, if we had been able to save Robin within a year or so of the device being installed. However, Robin's healing abilities have worked against us, integrating Robin's skin and nerves into the device. If we could get it out, we would irreparably mangle Robin's vocal chords and damage his throat. If the device has integrated itself into Robin's body composition as much as I think it has, removing the voice inhibitor would damage his throat so severely, Robin could die. His jugular vein has also been fused with the device… there is simply no way to get it out. And the enchantments on the device keep it in place, they don't actually do anything to Robin's voice. Removing the enchantments would destabilize his throat and kill him. As far as I can tell, there is no way to remove the device. I'm sorry, old friend."

Batman turned back to the boy lying on the bed. "It's not your fault. Thank you J'onn."

Martian Manhunter strode through the doorway to try to find Zatara.

 **000000000**

"Grandmaster, I have done what you asked. Will you uphold your end of the bargain?"

"Of course, Demon's Head. I am a man of honor. The Batman will be your heir." The room went black as the glowing screen turned off.

"Grandmaster, will you truly let the one who stole the Gray Son go unpunished?"

"Of course not, Talon. The Gray Son shall return, and the Batman will receive retribution for the years he has been lost."

"You are truly wise, Grandmaster."

"Thank you, old servant. Now go. Initiate the next phase of the plan."

"It will be as you command, Grandmaster. The Court of Owls shall rule Gotham once more."

"No, Talon. The Court shall rule from Gotham, but we shall command the world."

 **000000000**

Somewhere far away, The Atom was captured and a tiny chip pressed into the back of his neck. "The conquest has begun."

 **000000000**

Robin awoke with a scream that was silenced before it began. Immediately, he was enveloped by arms covered in black gauntlets, in the same way they had since the little bird was a child plagued by horror. Robin's mouth opened and closed, gasping tiny, noiseless sobs that wracked his small frame. After a time, the hand rubbing Robin's back in soothing circles prevailed and the boy stilled, leaning his head against the black bat symbol on his father's chest.

"Shh, little bird. It's alright."

Still leaning against Batman's chest, Dick gently freed his hands from the embrace. What happened?

Robin felt the sigh that Batman heaved. "It was a magical trigger. When you heard the sound of owls screeching, it induced an unstoppable panic attack."

Robin nodded his understanding. That's why no one could bring me out of it and my calming techniques wouldn't stop it.

"Yes."

They sat there for a moment, stealing a rare moment of rest and peace.

How long have I been asleep?

Batman hesitated for a moment. "The magic drained you. You've been unconscious for about a week." After Robin had processed that revelation, Batman continued, "Dick, do you remember someone magical hurting you? Using magic to do something to your mind?"

Robin thought for a minute, then nodded slowly. I think so. She had reddish blonde hair, and she wore the normal mask of The Court, along with the old fashioned dresses that women in The Court normally wear, but she had a dark wooden wand, and when she pointed it at me… It hurt. A lot. I passed out. It was a long time ago, probably nearly a year before the Talons stole my voice. Robin shuddered a bit at the memory.

Bruce pulled Robin a bit closer. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from taking you."

It wasn't your fault, Dad.

"I still failed you. I was supposed to make sure no one had to feel my pain, much less an innocent five year old who was kidnapped by horrible people just afterwards."

You saved me, gave me a home and a family. Nothing else matters.

Batman hmmed thoughtfully, but said nothing.

I mean it.

"I know."

 **000000000**

Three days later, the Justice League was about to induct new members. Batman turned to the Team, who were hanging out in the Hall of Justice. "Do. Not. Leave. Am I understood?"

A chorus of yessirs and a thumbs up from Robin assured Batman that he was.

"Good. I expect you all to be here when I get back."

 **A/N:** As if. Good luck with that, Bats. So that happened. Sorry this took so long. I've been VERY busy.

Aquarica: My birdie is a very special birdie. I can totally see him doing a perfect dismount in his sleep. Thanks for reviewing!

Lauren-kun: FINE! You WIN! HAPPY?! LINEBREAKS ARE GONE! Jesus, I'm gonna go drink a tea.

Shadowcat500: You should be proud. JK, it was just a fun little easter egg, nothing huge.

Rainfall04: This chapter answered your questions hopefully! I love having someone basically plugging my plot holes for me! And about Artemis, she does live in Gotham, but she hasn't lived in Gotham for long, and her family isn't very important to Gotham. So, the Court is aware of them, but disregards them, and if Arty knows about the legend of the Court at all, she thinks it's just a myth, a bedtime story, the boogey monster (with feathers).


	7. Fabricated

**A/N:** I had two reviews asking to bring back the line breaks, but I also got two people telling me that taking the line breaks off was good, so the current format is staying and unless you people flood my inbox in protest or something, I'm so done changing my format. Can all reviews from now on be about my story, not my format? Please? I'm sick of debating this. Credit for Riddler's second riddle goes to Ashley Nichol on Yahoo Answers!

The bioship flew through the air, heading north. Robin eyed the cold wind outside nervously. He didn't like cold. Cold and Talons did not mix. Glancing at the thermometer readings on his wrist computer, he shuddered. 10º. Manageable, but highly uncomfortable. He'd be sluggish, and his reaction times wouldn't be the best, but he could fight. However, if the temperature went down a few more degrees, it could get bad.

Kid Flash glanced up and noticed Robin worriedly looking at his wrist computer. He then looked outside and saw how cold it was, then realized why Robin was worried. "Rob? Maybe you should… sit this one out?" Everyone's attention was immediately on them. Robin glared at KF angrily.

I'm fine. Not that cold.

Kid Flash raised his hands in a surrendering motion. "Okay, okay, all I'm saying is that you don't do well with cold."

Raquel piped up. "What do you mean? What's wrong with him?" The rest of the team glared at Raquel for such a blunt and rude statement. She clearly meant well, but the team hated the thought that Robin was somehow… damaged. Robin turned away, and even though he signed nothing, Kid Flash knew him well enough to read the shame etched into his body language.

"It isn't Robin's fault! There's nothing _wrong_ with him!" Wally glared angrily at Rocket.

Robin tapped on the console of the bioship to get the team's attention. It's okay. They deserve to know.

Wally's wide eyes gave off the shock he was feeling. "You're going to tell them… everything?"

Robin shook his head. No. But I'll tell them my full capabilities. KF relaxed a bit. As much as he wanted Robin to tell the team so he had more people to rely on, Kid Flash didn't want to have to see the pain that would surface as Robin told his story.

Aqualad had been translating for Raquel in whispers, but now he stepped forward and fixed Robin with a stern gaze. It rolled right off of the smaller boy, but the suspicion and slight betrayal in his look didn't sit well with him.

"Robin, what do you mean, your 'full capabilities?" Robin smiled grimly at Aqualad.

I have slightly enhanced strength and agility, as well as a healing factor. It's not enough to classify me as a metahuman, but it helps me fight.

"Batman gave you those abilities?" Superboy asked.

Robin shook his head, no. No. That knowledge is highly classified. Only the Founding Members are allowed to know. Besides, it's… not relevant.

Zatanna looked shocked. "Not relevant?! We're your teammates, of course we should know your full capabilities and how you got them!"

Kid Flash stood up and glared at Zatanna before Robin could respond. "You were born with your powers, you don't know what it feels like, sharing your origin story! And really, Robin's background is none of your business, so leave him alone!"

Artemis laid a hand on KF's shoulder and pulled him back into his seat. "I agree with Kid Flash. Some stories aren't meant to be told, Zatanna." Artemis was clearly thinking of her own childhood and broken family.

Robin looked down. He tapped on the console again to grab their attention. Guys, it's okay. I can't tell you how I got my abilities, but most of it is talent, and the result of training since the day I could walk. I do have one big weakness, though. I can't be in temperatures lower than 0º F.

"What happens if you are?" Miss Martian asked.

Robin's face turned grim. I could literally freeze and shatter. Or be put in a coma. If done the right way, if I am frozen I could stay in a coma for years, centuries even, and be woken up in as good a condition as the day I was put to sleep. Everyone in the bioship looked horrified at the thought of Robin being put to sleep and woken up centuries later.

"Maybe you should stay here." Artemis said, surprisingly gently.

Robin looked a bit amused at her worry. I'll be fine, it's not that cold yet.

KF frowned in Robin's direction. "But you'll be slower than usual."

I'll manage. What Robin wouldn't give to be able to say the words aloud, and give them a cutting edge. The sharp motions of his hands seemed to convey Robin's irritation well enough, though.

The rest of the team nodded uneasily, resolving to keep an eye on Robin.

 **000000000**

Robin shuddered as he stepped outside, pulling his thermal enhanced cape tight around him and glaring as his team shot him concerned looks.

"Miss Martian, link us up." Kaldur ordered.

" _Link established. Everyone on?"_

" _This is weird."_ Raquel looked around, clearly confused.

" _You'll get used to it."_ Wally said a bit brusquely.

" _Be nice, Baywatch."_

" _Whatever, Rapunzel."_

" _Nice one, KF."_ Raquel jumped at the unfamiliar voice in her head. "Who was that?"

A cackle from above drew Rocket's attention to Robin, who was perched on a small ledge. " _That would be me."_

Superboy turned to Rocket. "Robin loves the mindlink because he can talk in it."

Robin flipped to the ground, then promptly drew his cape back around him with a shiver. " _Whew. Cold. Look, there's the airplane wreck!"_ Artemis gasped as she saw the plane that was pretty much cracked in half.

Startled noises came from the rest of the team as they saw the condition of the plane, and a small, scared whisper floated across the mindlink. " _No, Jade!"_ Wally laid a supportive hand on Artemis's shoulder, though he didn't know why she was upset.

" _Who's Jade?"_ Rocket asked.

" _It doesn't matter right now."_ Robin said.

"Robin's right. Search for bodies." Aqualad ordered.

"No need. There's one right here, and it is stunning." The team about-faced to see Cheshire. Robin cursed his cold-dulled senses, and KF eyed Robin concernedly, worrying that the cold was affecting him more than he was letting on. Normally, Robin would've sensed Cheshire as soon as he got off the ship.

"I am flora, not fauna. I am foliage, not trees, I am shrubbery, not grass. What am I?"

I am bush.

The Riddler grinned at Robin. "Good one, bird boy!" Somehow the team wasn't surprised that the Gotham villains had learned sign language to understand the Son of Batman. Riddler continued. "Here's another one! My first is in ocean, but never in sea, my second's in wasp, but never in bee, my third is in glider and also in flight, my whole is a creature that comes out in night. What am I?"

Robin turned very, very pale. No.

The Riddler leered at him. "Oh come on, you know this one, little bird!"

Robin shakily signed, owl, knowing that if the Riddler wasn't answered he got very violent, very quickly, and even though the villain looked D-list, Robin wasn't at his best and the man wasn't a Gotham villain for nothing.

Nigma broke out in wild laughter. "You got it! By the way, Great-Grandfather says hello!" Kid Flash dashed in front of Robin, trying to shield his friend from hearing the Riddler's sly words.

"Shut up!"

Cheshire took in the rest of the team's confused faces, and grinned. "Oh, little birdie, you didn't tell them? How disappointing. Ah, well, it doesn't matter anymore, you'll be sleeping for a very long time. Who knows, you may wake up and everyone's all dead!" Robin flinched backward, wide-eyed and shook his head. Robin suddenly pulled himself together. He covered his terror at the idea of being frozen, pulled his cape closer around him, and snarled noiselessly at Cheshire.

No. I would rather die.

"Sorry, not in the plan. NOW!" At Cheshire's command, thugs equipped with technology clearly from Apokalips step out and fire at the young heroes. Blockbuster jumped out from behind a rock and bodyslammed Superboy out of the way. Robin concluded that the Court had told them about his weakness to cold, because it was the only way the villains would know that the team's most trusted scout would have his senses dulled and would be off his game.

A special soldier fired a red, glowing net at Robin from behind and the boy fell, screaming silently as he was electrocuted. Robin was immediately pulled into a flashback from his early days as a Talon, when the electrum in his blood was activated by injections and electricity. While Robin was writhing in pain under the glowing net, Kid Flash was valiantly trying to protect his best friend. Wally glanced back as he heard a thud, alarmed to see a man had tried to grab the net to drag Robin off but had be miraculously knocked over by a well-timed kick from Robin. It seemed that even cold and in pain, Robin was still lethal.

Zatanna got a moment of space and shouted, "Evomer ten!" The net flew off of Robin, and the boy shook his head a few times to clear it of the flashback, then spied Cheshire running away with the case. Robin snarled and leapt after the woman, tackling her to the ground and swiping her with the sharpened claws on the tips of his gloves. The claws (Robin refused to think of them as talons) left long, shallow cuts across Cheshire's abdomen and Cheshire retaliated by attempting to elbow Robin in the nose. Robin quickly dodged and knocked the villainess out with one blow, fastening batcuffs on her wrists and ankles.

Robin ran to rejoin the fight, and came back to the main area to find that Blockbuster had fled, Riddler was in a magical straitjacket, and the thugs were all unconscious. The team turned to Robin, and before they could ask questions, Robin signed, I got Cheshire. Aqualad praised Robin's quick recovery, Robin shrugged it off, and the team loaded the villains into the holding area of the bioship.

 **A/N:** Can't wait for next chapter, we get confession time. Will Robin tell the team his backstory, or will he remain silent and have to fend off awkward questions? Find out next time on Dark Squire! Anyway, I got a Chromebook for Christmas and it has definitely improved production of chapters! This was written in about an hour and a half, and I'm almost done with two other chapters for a Teen Titans AU oneshot series. And I wrote Heirs and Seconds. If you're an HTTYD fan, check that out, it's got Snotlout and Hiccup cousinly bonding! Okay, okay, I'll stop self-promoting.

Shadowcat500: Yeah, I'm shooting for 11 chapters, maybe more. Hopefully. This story is a big step for me, because I can't normally find the inspiration to write more than three to five chapters. The only time I've gotten more than… six, I think, is my oneshot series, and I don't think that counts because those are oneshots.

Aquarica: Oh, yes. That didn't last long. I can practically feel Bat's irritation already lol.

CHEESEPUFF: I can't bring back the line breaks, but thanks for your vote.

Guest: I liked the linebreaks too. *Pouts* Sorry, but you're outvoted.

Rainfall04: No, it's fine, I love the questions! A lot (and I mean a lot) of your questions cannot be answered because I don't want to spoil too much, but your question about the cold inspired that bit of this chapter, because I wanted to answer your question and then was like, wait, aren't they going into that ambush in northern Canada? Boom, confused team and I'm using poor Raquel's confusion to pose difficult questions cause she's the new girl. Cannot write Rocket for the life of me, though.

: If you had actually read before you reviewed, you would know that this issue is addressed and OVER. THANKS GUYS. Sheesh, quit harping on the line breaks, will ya? I actually have very little plot past what is in the summary of the story, I'm just writing. I'm excited to see where I take this too lol. Sorry if I come off as annoyed, but nobody will just let it go.

Lauren-kun: Okay, it's fine, sorry if I sound mad, but can everyone just drop it? It just seems like my format is all anyone comments on. Linebreaks are over. Thanks for your kind review, and I'll do my best to get the next chapter out faster.

Tayashia: Oh, no. I can already see Batman's annoyed face.

Rieharper: Aww, thanks! Your review is amazingly nice! No, I'm not adding any other Robins in. I'm planning on a followup oneshot series (I do a lot of those, don't I?) and there will definitely be Damian and Jason in there. I try to avoid Tim because I simply find him horribly hard to write, but I'll try to put Tim in. Actually, Jason irritates me, because it's been, like, ten years and he's still whining that he died and wasn't missed. Newsflash, you have a freaking memorial in the Batcave that Batman broods about all the time. Jason's just overrated in my opinion, no offense. Although his attitude is fun to use to compliment Dick's. And I have no idea what I'm doing with the sign language, I'm just hoping it doesn't end up failing.


	8. Obsessed

**A/N:** Confession time is here! Happiness and cheer! Yeah, still in the Christmas spirit, a few days after Christmas. I'm such a nut. A hazelnut… lol. I'm updating as fast as I can, hopefully this comes out okay. Now, onto the show! Oh, and if one of Dick's signed words looks like  t-h-i-s, it means it's finger-spelled. **Edit:** Guys, just realized that underlines weren't working. Again. I've fixed the last three chapters. If the underlines don't work, PLEASE tell me. I want to make your reading experience as enjoyable as possible.

The briefcase that Cheshire had been carrying had been given safely to Batman. Batman had given them a lecture in return, but halted when he noticed Robin still shivering and whisked him off to the couch under a mound of heated blankets. Robin was still giving the occasional shudder and Batman had given Wally a stern lecture on not letting Robin get too cold. Kid Flash bore it, and every time Robin took his hands out from under the blankets to object, Batman would absentmindedly tuck his hands back under before he could sign anything. Robin settled for glaring at Batman until he quit scolding Kid Flash.

Now Batman was gone, and Robin had promptly shrugged off his blankets, glaring at anyone who looked like they could object. The team met up in the briefing/sparring/main room, on the glowing center. Robin tuned out most of the talking, drawing the hoodie he had changed into closer around himself, trying to quell the leftover chill. Talons did not recover from cold easily. Being in the cold like that had been pushing it, but Robin needed to help his team.

Robin watched distantly as Superboy began to storm off, but snapped to attention when he turned back and said, "There's something I need to do… something I need to tell you." Robin listened intently as Superboy explained what had happened with Luthor and how he was supposed to meet his so-called father on Santa Prisca for more shields. The team was quick to respond that it was fine, but Robin remained noticeably silent.

Everyone turned to Robin nervously, waiting for his judgement, as he was the most experienced on the team. Robin's blue eyes, hidden behind his shades, pierced Superboy, and everyone held their breaths. Then, Robin's face relaxed and he took a step forward. Superboy, and here even Robin's signs managed to seem strangely gentle and soft. Who your gene donors are don't define you. I… we all know that. Thank you for telling us. Somehow, to Conner, Robin's reassurance seemed to sink in the deepest, even though it was the simplest and shortest.

Robin shot a meaningful look at Artemis, and once again he seemed to look straight into her, giving her the undeniable urge to confess. Artemis took a deep breath, then walked to the console, pulling up the files of her family. "Superboy isn't the only one with bad genes." As she explained, people looked startled and a bit worried, but the worst was when Aqualad looked so disappointed in her. Artemis was startled when Wally grabbed her hand and squeezed it, smiling at her, reassuring, as if she had said nothing. No, it was as if they had never fought at all, and were the best of friends. Maybe more. Artemis found that she loved that feeling.

Again, everyone looked at Robin to see what he would say, but he just smiled and said, Good job, Artemis. I knew you could do it. Everyone was properly shocked when M'gann told them she was a white martian, but it didn't really matter. She was still M'gann. Once M'gann had shifted back into her humanoid form, Robin just shrugged at her. He clearly didn't think it was a big deal, at all. If anything, Robin looked like he didn't quite understand why her appearance was an issue. He had assumed that the Megan form wasn't her original one, anyway.

The trouble came when Kid Flash shuffled his feet and said, "Robin." Robin's eyes flashed.

No.

Wally fell silent. Aqualad took a step towards Robin, who took a step back, crouching down ever-so-slightly into the beginnings of a defensive position. Aqualad promptly put his hands up in a surrendering motion and gave Robin his space. "Robin, they have told us what they were keeping from the team. Shouldn't you, as well?" Robin's eyes flashed angrily behind his glasses.

No. My secrets are not relevant. I do not have anyone blackmailing me or telling me to go to Santa Prisca.

Kid Flash spoke up again. "Yeah, but the bad guys know. And… they're involved. It's too late to try to keep your past from them. They'll either find out in a bad light, or a bad time, and it would hurt our teamwork if you keep this from them. Robin, you're like a brother to me, and I don't want to force you to talk, but I really think you should. If they don't know, they'll be going in blind, and from what you tell me, they'll be killed."

Robin thought for a long moment. Fine.

"Are you sure?"

Yes, Wally. M'gann, please set up a mindlink. This is a long story. If I stop, I probably won't be able to bring myself to finish. No interruptions, please.

" _Mindlink established."_

" _Thanks, M'gann. Anyway, our story begins in early twentieth-century America._

 _There once was a man… no, a boy, named William Cobb. William Cobb was a street performer, a juggler who had learned his craft in the circus he had grown up in called Haley's Circus. The boy lived from 14 to 20 on the streets, until he managed to get a decent job at a factory and got a small, but livable apartment. He kept juggling, even then, to earn extra income and for fun. And for one other reason. Eliza Kane. She was rich, beautiful, and he loved her. They had been meeting each other since William had started juggling and had caught her eye, and eventually developed romantic feelings for each other. They began dating, but Eliza's father didn't like William because he wasn't rich._

 _Eventually, William got Eliza pregnant and Mr. Kane was furious. William tried to marry Eliza, but Mr. Kane refused to let him. Instead, Eliza's father wed Eliza to an ugly man named Henry Cobblepot, Oswald Cobblepot aka the Penguin's ancestor, before Eliza's reputation was ruined. William was heartbroken and angry, and he swore vengeance. He vowed to rule Gotham itself. He returned to the circus of his childbirth, angry about his lost son and love. The ringmaster and owner of the circus, a man named Mr. Haley, approached William with a way to achieve the vengeance he thirsted for. And so Cobb was set on his path._

 _Mr. Haley introduced Cobb to a group called The Court of Owls. The Court, in essence, ruled Gotham with an iron grip. Cobb underwent many trials and horrors, and eventually became The Court's head Talon, the assassin The Court sent after anyone who opposed them. Talons are ruthless, undead killing machines, able to kill in an instant and heal themselves even quicker. Unstoppable, they were put into cryogenic sleep comas until The Court required them. After becoming The Court's Head Talon, Cobb was unleashed to take his vengeance. The assassin crept into the mansion where Eliza was visiting her father with his child, found Mr. Kane, and slit his throat in his bed. Then, he went to Eliza's bedroom and stole his baby from the bassinet, leaving nothing but an owl feather resting where the baby was._

 _Cobb brought his son, James, to Mr. Haley, who would raise the boy for The Court. Cobb told Haley that James's name would be neither Cobb nor Cobblepot, but Grayson, for one of his descendants would be 'his Gray Son, who would guide the Court to rule over Gotham herself once more.' Instead of training James as a juggler, like his father, Mr. Haley trained him as a trapeze artist, an aerialist. And so a legacy began._

 _Cobb waited for his heir. The most brilliant, talented boy of the Grayson line. Cobb could afford to wait. After all, he was immortal. James married and had one son, named Ben. Ben died in an automobile accident just after he got his wife pregnant with their second son. The two boys were named John and Richard, or Rick for short. Ben's wife died during Rick's childbirth, leaving Mr. Haley's descendant, Cornelius Haley, to raise the boys as his grandfather had raised James._

 _Rick married a woman named Karla, a scholarship girl from Ohio. They had a son named John, after Rick's brother. However, Cobb wasn't interested in the younger brother, for Cobb was old, and when Cobb had grown up the eldest always inherited the legacy. So Rick and his son were safe. The elder brother, John, on the other hand, was not. John had married a woman named Mary Lloyd, from a gypsy family of world-famous acrobats. Mary was Romanian, and rumors said that her ancestors had performed for Queen Elizabeth the first and had taught Houdini his best tricks themselves._

 _A year into their marriage, Cobb revealed himself to John and told him that he would be taken as a Talon and his heir. John refused, but what he didn't know was that Cobb wasn't interested in him at all. Cobb told John that the only way that The Court wouldn't just kidnap him and force him to be their Talon was for John to give up his eldest son to The Court. John and Mary agreed, thinking that they would have time to escape The Court if they did have a boy._

 _A year later, a boy named Richard Grayson was born to John and Mary. He was smart, talented, and the best aerialist to ever be born to either the Grayson or Lloyd families. He was raised speaking the gypsy tongue, Romani, along with five other languages. Cobb knew that the boy was perfect. Cobb wanted to take the boy when he was two, but Mary and John insisted on waiting until he was at least ten. Cobb consented, but had no intention of keeping his promises. When the boy was five, and his parents had taught him their signature quadruple flip, two Talons cut the ropes on the family's trapeze act just before Richard, nicknamed Dick, got on, and the the family fell to their deaths. Dick Grayson was abducted by The Courts, and trained to be their best Talon, and Cobb's heir._

 _The boy was rebellious. He never stopped resisting the Talons and talking back, even when punished horribly. Dick was fond of telling his instructors that they would never be able to get him to stop talking. The Talons became fed up, and operated on him, putting an enchanted and highly advanced piece of technology in his throat to make his voice stop working completely. Now subdued from the loss of his voice and obedient, the child was handed over to his great-grandfather, William Cobb to keep training him on his sixth birthday. He was trained by Cobb until he was eight, when Batman raided the complex and rescued him._

 _Dick Grayson was adopted by Batman's alter ego, Bruce Wayne. Dick insisted on using his skills to fight crime, naming himself after his mother's nickname for him, Robin, one of the few memories he had left of his birth parents. Batman taught Robin restraint, and never hurt him, becoming a father to Robin._

 _I am Richard John Grayson-Wayne, and this is my story."_

Everyone sat back in shock at Robin's story. Eyes wide with horror, everyone realized that his story was so much worse than theirs. Artemis understood the empathy, and their semi-violent encounter a few weeks ago, and sympathized with Robin now. Robin's words came back to her. _I'd leave them to rot_. He had been talking about his Great-Grandfather.

The story had been made all the more terrible because flashes of memory had come through the mindlink, split second images. The blurred figures of a smiling couple. A knife snipping through a rope. A cold whiteness. A man in armor that looked like that of an owl's, standing over them. A man with a face that was sharp and hard, but with light blue eyes and a smile that looked like it wasn't used often. An older man holding a tray of cookies and smiling fondly down at them. The Robin suit, hanging in a case in what was presumably the Batcave.

Feelings had also come through. Incredible grief, fear, pain, dread, relief, and finally love and utter devotion.

Kid Flash put his arm around Robin's shoulders, and the smaller boy uncharacteristically accepted the hug and leaned into it a bit. The sight snapped Aqualad out of his reverie. "Robin? Was… was that…" Kaldur trailed off as he realized that he had no idea what to say. Robin merely smiled at him and pulled off his mask, revealing stunningly blue eyes. Darker than the man's from the memories.

Call me D-i-c-k. Robin finger-spelled his name.

Artemis gave Dick a piercing look. "I've never heard of a Court of Owls, and I live in Gotham."

Dick shook his head, looking vaguely amused. No, but the C-o-u-r-t has heard of you. Your father and sister work for the Shadows. They keep tabs on people like you. Many in Gotham believe that the C-o-u-r-t is a myth, a fairy tale for children. Even the myth is not very well known, a bedtime story for the wealthy. The Talons are a big part of the C-o-u-r-t, but they are merely servants for the nobles… some of the wealthiest people in Gotham. There's even a rhyme about them.

Beware the Court of Owls, that watches all the time, ruling Gotham from a shadowy perch, behind granite and lime. They watch you at your hearth, they watch you in your bed, speak not a whispered word of them, or they'll send a Talon for your head.

The words gave the team shudders. What kind of place was Gotham if _that_ was considered a nursery rhyme? Robin kept signing. The bit about watching people is not true, but the part about the Talon and ruling from a shadowy perch is. I should know.

Kid Flash grimaced. "So, to sum it all up, The Court is an ancient organization that controls Gotham, their head Talon is Robin's Great-Grandfather, and they want Robin to be one of their Talons."

Robin shook his head. No. Not one of their Talons. _The_ Talon, the Gray Son of Gotham. Different. I am supposed to lead the rest of the Talons in a battle to retake control of Gotham for the Court when I am older. Probably eighteen or so. That's also when they will give me the immortality serum. Right now, I just have the healing one. Which is good. I don't want to be immortal. The Team let that sink it.

Rocket, surprisingly, was the next to speak. "You really have been training since you could walk." She let out a shell-shocked laugh. Robin gave the new girl a thin smile and a nod.

Zatanna frowned. "Didn't Riddler say a riddle earlier? And you freaked out?"

Robin nodded again, but this time Kid Flash answered. "The answer to the riddle was 'owl,' and Riddler also mentioned Robin's Great-Grandfather… they definitely know that Rob used to be a Talon."

Robin frowned and shook his head slowly, contemplatively. It's strange though. The Court does not usually work with the other Gotham villains. They prefer to work alone, from the shadows, sending Talons to assassinate those in their way. It's worrying. Working with other villains… this is their endgame.

Aqualad stepped forward and put a steadying hand on Robin's shoulder. Robin flinched back a bit at the touch, but didn't pull away. "Do not worry, my friend. We will stop them." Robin looked around at all of the determined faces surrounding him.

He would stop the Court. And he would have help.

 **A/N:** I had planned to do the ambush scene, but this was getting long. We'll see what happens next chapter! I got a computer for Christmas, which makes it MUCH easier to write. Hallelujah. How was the confession? Any suggestions for next chapter? Love you guys!

A Small Voice: Yep, I read Cute Cam! It was adorable. I also love that one story where Bats sends Robin a text after he sneezed and it said 'bless you' in a place where there were no cameras. I was dying. And nope, half of my plot is that Robin can't talk. Poor Dickie. I'm so mean to my poor birdie. As if being kidnapped by the Court of Owls isn't enough…

CHEESEPUFF: Yep, you got my title Easter Egg! Have some batcookies! I got a nightwing T-shirt too! And a Batman LEGO set, Batman winter hat, Batman T-shirt, and Batman socks. I had a very Batman Christmas. Thanks! I think my chapters are great too lol.

Unlucky Alis: Did I make you happy? I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! I love big revelations too! A climax-thingy is next chapter, though it's not the main climax. I'm looking forward to it.

Rainfall04: Yes you did review as a guest, but it's all good! As for your questions, no, Dick wasn't allowed out of the Court's facility as he probably would've tried to escape, and I think the question about Artemis was answered in this chapter! The team is confused. The team looks at Robin, confused. The team looks at Robin confusedly. I do write that a lot, don't I? Ah, well, the team is confused.

WhenUniversesCollide: I have already replied to your view via pm. You must feel so special, my lovely pen pal! XD

Epic: Ooh, what do we have here? An httyd fan? Have you read my httyd stories, especially Of Heirs and Seconds? Sorry, I'll stop self-promoting! As for the Light's plan, I'm going to throw in some curveballs. Of course I am. I'm me. I am a human curveball. Or semi-human, anyway. Am I the only one extremely frustrated by the lack of a RELEASE DATE for RTTE Season 4 (or however they number the seasons, it changes all the time.) I need more episodes! Season 2 was released January 8 of last year, so fingers crossed! Soon!


	9. Wasted

**A/N:** My lovely reviews, my preciousss… oh, hi. Whoops. Didn't see you there. Kay guys, this story is wrapping up! I'll put any other little ideas in a oneshot series, but only a few chapters left! And by a few, I mean, like, 3-5. Actually, that's quite a lot. For me. Don't judge me. So sorry about the whole… not updating for nearly a month… hehe. On the other hand, I'm writing a smaller story after this one (Not a massive AU) so less waiting.

Robin crouched silently behind a bush. Beside him, Robin could see Wally's red lightning bolt, even when he was in stealth mode. Superboy's performance was already begun, M'gann hadn't arrived yet, and by Robin's calculations, Artemis was three minutes out. Kaldur was sheltered behind a tree across the clearing, and Rocket and Zatanna were hiding together under one of Rocket's bubbles that was made invisible by Zatanna's magic.

M'gann flew down from the bioship… didn't betray your secrets… be obedient… yada yada… sticking with the cliche villain script… Artemis had entered, and was playing her part perfectly… Robin's heart lurched when Luthor revealed he knew Superboy was faking, but it would still work… hopefully Supes wasn't as bad an actor as Luthor thought he was.

It was going pretty well, until Queen Bee said, "Wait! I feel too many minds! It's an ambush!"

 _Crap._

Robin burst from the bush and took Queen Bee out with a swift leg sweep and a small punch to the forehead. He quickly moved on to Bane, keeping an eye on the other fights around him. Superboy, Miss Martian, and Aqualad were battling Mammoth and Blockbuster… and winning, for once. Rocket had Luthor and Mercy trapped in a force bubble while Mercy tried to blast her way out. Rocket was stuck, but so were Mercy and Luthor. Kid Flash and Artemis were tag teaming Sportmaster and Cheshire, and doing pretty well, aided by a few Kid Flash copies provided by Zatanna. Zatanna was helping anyone she could out, mainly Kid Flash and Artemis.

Robin was brought back to his own fight when Bane's fist whistled past his ear with enough force to have shattered Robin's skull if it had connected. Robin flipped around Bane's punches, never allowing them to connect or even seem close to hitting him. Palming a small throwing knife from his utility belt (such a valuable skill, even learned from Talons, would be a shame to waste) Robin spun around to Bane's back, planted a foot on his shoulder, flipped backward, and cut the venom tube while flipping away from Bane in one smooth move.

Bane screamed in agony from sudden withdrawl, and shrunk quickly. Robin slammed the butt of his knife into Bane's skull, and the goliath was knocked out. Robin turned to rejoin the fight, perhaps to free up Rocket, but a knife thrown from behind the Boy Wonder knocked Robin's own knife out of his hand, slashed his palm, and embedded itself into a tree.

Dick froze at the sight of the knife. It was golden, and relatively simple, but the handle was engraved with an owl pattern.

 _The Court._

Robin rolled out of the way intuitively, and another throwing knife flashed by, missing the boy's cape, which it would have pinned to a tree if the deadly weapon had connected. So they wanted Robin alive…

Robin's train of thought was cut off as a man, covered in metal armor designed to look like feathers and a pair of goggles that looked like owl eyes stepped out of the shadows of the trees. Bane had managed to maneuver them away from the main fight a bit, and after dodging the knife, Dick was now too far away to see his teammates, though he could still hear them. Of course, he couldn't call for help. This was one moment where Robin cursed the Talons for muting him.

The Talon approached Dick silently, then stood as still as a statue. "Gray Son, you have been requested by the Court. Come back to your masters and face the consequences of your actions, and they may be lenient." A shiver ran down Robin's spine.

Never.

The armored man shifted stances, and Robin knew that his Grandfather (who else would it be?) was sneering with rage. "Gray Son, the Court of Owls sentences you to our eternal service. Face your fate." With that, Cobb lunged at Robin.

 **000000000**

Aqualad looked around. The villains had been tied up and were sitting around a tree, staring at the young heroes in total silence. Kaldur did a quick head count, and came up short. He instantly knew who was missing. "Where's Robin?"

The rest of the team promptly looked around. Zatanna turned to Aqualad. "I don't know. Last I saw, Robin was fighting Bane."

Kid Flash was clearly troubled. "What if he's hurt? Or in trouble? He can't call out to us… if he's out of eyesight, he's virtually on his own."

Aqualad's face set in clear determination. They would have to find Robin themselves. Much better to have to endure Robin's scolding about how they were too overprotective than to never see their youngest member again. "Zatanna, Rocket, you guard the prisoners. The rest of you, spread out. _Find him._ "

A smooth voice interjected from the shadows. "No need for that." A man dressed in shiny armor that looked like an owl's feathers stepped into the moonlight. Aqualad recognized him from Robin's memories. It was William Cobb.

Aqualad's gaze traveled lower, and the leader had to hold in a gasp when he saw a dazed and weakly struggling Robin tugging at the hand that held his upper arm in an iron grip and the knife held to his throat.

"Release my allies, or the Gray Son's blood will paint this place."

Kid Flash sneered at the Talon. "You wouldn't kill Robin, he's your heir and your grandson! He's the only family you have left." The Talon regarded the teens coldly, and suddenly Wally didn't feel so sure about his claim.

"I would kill my Gray Son in a heartbeat. There are ways of bringing the dead back to life, none of them without their drawbacks or painless. Perhaps a dip the the Lazarus Pit? Those are said to corrupt even the most virtuous of souls. Perhaps the so-called 'Fountain of Youth' will solve the Gray Son's loyalty problems." The last part was spoken in an angry hiss, like oil sizzling on a hot pan. Clearly, Robin's rescue by Batman infuriated Cobb.

The knife was raised a bit higher on Robin's pale throat and bit in, a tiny stream of blood tracing the contours of the boy's thin neck. "Stop!" Aqualad yelled. To his team, he said, "Release them."

Superboy protested. "But-"

Kaldur glared at him. "It is their most likely temporary capture or Robin's life! Do it!" Inside, Kaldur was panicking. The child he had come to think of as a little brother was being held hostage and there was absolutely nothing he could do.

The villains rose from their places beneath a tree and stood to either side of the Talon, rubbing wrists that were sore from rope burns. Cobb smiled maliciously, though no one could see it under his mask. "Good. Now you will stay there until I leave with the Gray Son."

The team visibly tensed. Aqualad scowled. "I cannot let you leave here with Robin."

The Talon had sheathed his knife and was now taking a slim pair of shackles and fastening them around the Boy Wonder's thin wrists. "You must. You see, you have no choice." As if that were a cue, dozens of Talons appeared in the branches of the trees. The team froze, knowing that they were hopelessly outgunned.

They could do nothing but watch as their teammate, weakly struggling and cruelly bound, was dragged over to the waiting helicopter and the other villains disappeared into the trees.

Robin looked back at the small group of heroes in the clearing and prayed that they would save him. He glanced at his Grandfather, who was staring at him intently, and shuddered. The older Talon leaned forward a bit.

"This time, my Gray Son, not even Batman shall keep you from your fate."

 **A/N:** Crappy ending, yes, but I tried. Credit where credit is due, right? Wait, then I'd have no credit! Lol. Anywho, I need reviews. Reviews make me update faster. Thank you, Guest, for telling me to update. It really helped! I realized as I wrote this chapter: I haven't written ANYTHING where Dick gets tied up in months! And that's bad. Repressing my sadism only causes it to be worse when it finally explodes, apparently.

Unlucky Alis: I do love making people freak out. Glad the chapter lived up to expectations! And yes, the Wall-man knows exactly which of Robin's buttons to push to get him to open up.

Guest: Eh, Bruce probably won't be too mad. He'll probably be so relieved that Dick is actually making friends, he'll let it slide. Then again, Dick won't exactly be able to tell Bruce that he revealed his identity anytime soon… XD I'm so evil.

BirdFlashIsNotAThing: Why thank you, I'd say that the light you were blinded by was my angelicness, but then I remembered the horns on my head. I hath continued!

WhenUniversesCollide: *Claps hands excitedly* Sorry for keeping you waiting, ugh I want a Nightwing hoodie now! And wow… I am REALLY late on this chapter, ain't I?

Rainfall04: No, Robin will NEVER speak again (bwahaha and all that jazz) and your other questions… I cannot tell you! It secret! You may have to wait awhile though, Robin's a bit… tied up… Thanks so much for your wonderful review, and apologies for the awful pun.

Aquarica: Oh, yes they are. And now, Kaldur has to explain that he let Batman's little bird get kidnapped while on an unauthorized mission… as Robin once said, so wonderfully, 'which means you're the right guy to explain this to Batman!' Oh, my little birdie…

Rieharper: I looked up the sign for Batman! OMG so awesome! I kinda thought Robin would just make the sign for 'bat' and then for 'man' in quick succession, but apparently there's actually a sign! I will defo be using that site.

CHEESEPUFF: I do try. Hard. Which is why this chapter is extremely late lol yolo! I think you commented twice… ah, well. You won't find me complaining.

TheChickenOfJustice: Love your name btw, glad you're liking the story, and yeah, I haven't found many good Talon AUs either.

Guest (2): Thanks for telling me to get off my butt, I appreciate it! I got a bit wrapped up in school… Stupid governor's school and Pre-AP classes. I'm too smart for my own good.


	10. Lacking

**A/N:** WE MADE IT TO CHAPTER 10! YAAAAAY! I feel so accomplished! Double digits! Ermigerd I'm so excited, I get to torture Robin this chapter! Finally, a release for my sadism! Life stinks right now, I have a C in French, so Dad cut off my data… gah, it's almost physically painful… I NEED to read fanfiction…

Aqualad lead the way back to the bioship, the group of young superheroes trudging reluctantly into the cockpit. They knew that they had to get off the island before the supervillains regrouped and decided to attack, but then again, maybe it would be easier to have death-by-villain than death-by-batglare. Batman was going to _kill_ them.

Whatever happened, Aqualad just hoped Robin would survive.

 **000000000**

Robin awoke in darkness, feeling cold metal beneath his shirtless back. He could feel that he had loose cloth pants on (thank goodness) but he had no shoes, gloves, or belt, which meant that all his trackers and lockpicks were gone. Robin tried to sit up, but felt a coolness restraining him at his neck, ankles, wrists, and waist. Dick tried not to panic, but the cold restraints, the darkness, and the metal table he was no doubt laying on brought back horrific memories of being conditioned, whipped, knifed, and beaten into submission. Dick's hand grasped the edge of the table, and then he shuddered. There was a dent there, a ding. The Court normally insisted that their property be spotless and perfect, but throughout his years of being a Talon, Dick had absentmindedly picked at the same spot on the metal table while he waited for his next torture in the darkness, rubbed it, and over the years it had developed into a small nick.

Robin was being held in the very same restraints, on the very same metal table, that he had when he was a child.

A light turned on in the room, dim, because owls were creatures of the night and the Court was very good at sticking to their theme. Now that he had some light to go by, Robin could see that the room was empty except for his table, with reinforced metal walls that Dick would bet was lead-infused and embedded with tiny bits of kryptonite on the outside. Robin lay absolutely still as a door slid open vertically, and shut behind three members of the Court, his Grandfather, and a Talon whose helmet and the accents on his knives indicated was the second lowest level. Even the Court's servants had a hierarchy. Unfortunately, Robin himself was the highest level a servant could be, almost priceless in skill and value, and therefore the Court would never let him go.

The three members of the Court, the Grandmaster himself, a blonde woman wearing an elegant gray dress who was most likely the Grandmistress, and the Grandmaster's highest advisor and lieutenant took up positions near the wall. Grandfather took his position near Robin's head, hands folded behind his back silently, and the Talon stood on the other side of Robin, near his torso.

Grandfather spoke. "This is your last choice to join us, Gray Son-"

Robin shook his head decisively and mouthed, _Robin_.

Grandfather sounded irritated. "What?"

 _My name is Robin._

The members of the Court stood motionless near the wall, along with the Talon and Grandfather. After a second, Robin found out that Grandfather could lip read, because he said, "Very well then, Gray Son. Talon, begin."

With that signal, the Talon next to Robin silently attached cords like the ones in hospitals to his chest and pulled a box from under the steel table. When the Talon opened the box, Robin could see that there was a generator inside. They were going to electrocute him.

Robin steeled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He was the son of Batman, and he would not give in.

A tiny chime sounded, and Robin's body was charged with electricity, burning, until it stopped and the boy could feel the now welcomed coolness under his back.

"Join us, Gray Son." Grandfather said.

Robin shook his head, not wasting energy on mouthing words.

Then Robin's world dissolved into pain, and the boy wished he could scream.

 **000000000**

Batman and the other mentors, along with Wonder Woman, stood waiting for the bioship to land. When the children filed out, Batman's gaze swept the group and the cold hand of fear closed around his heart as he realized that Robin wasn't there.

Batman stepped forward, a column of darkness and fury that made both the weak and the strong tremble. He was about to ask where his son was when Flash zipped in front of him and interrupted. "Where did you go?! We were worried sick!"

The kids looked at each other, exchanging unreadable looks, and the cold hand that held Batman's heart gripped tighter until the Dark Knight felt he could hardly breathe. Kid Flash answered his mentor's question. "Santa Prisca. We found out that various prominent criminals were meeting there, and we were going to ambush them."

Before anyone could ask what had happened, Batman asked, "Where is Robin?"

The team went silent, and Aqualad stepped forward, next to Kid Flash. The leader of the team looked solemnly at Batman. "The Talons took him." Batman felt his entire world collapse. Grief, terror, and horror swirled through his mind, until Batman grasped his anger, the vengeful anger that had kept him alive in the dark days before Robin, and pulled the pieces of himself together.

" _What happened?_ " Batman's voice had gone so dark that all who heard it shuddered, even the League members who were trying not to panic, and even Icon put aside his confusion.

Aqualad took a deep breath and continued. "When we got there, Sportsmaster, Lex Luthor, Queen Bee, Bane, Mammoth, and Blockbuster were there. When we attacked, Robin quickly incapacitated Queen Bee and attacked Bane. The rest of us contained the rest of our foes. Once we had subdued the villains and tied them to a tree, we realized that we had lost sight of Robin in the confusion. We were about to search for him, but a man dressed as a Talon appeared and he was holding Robin captive. Robin had numerous lacerations, was dazed, and his utility belt had been confiscated. The Talon told us that if we did not want him to kill Robin and then bring him back to life in order to enslave him, we had to free the villains. We followed his instructions, but the Talon, whom we discovered was Cobb, refused to free Robin, and tied him up. We were surrounded by other Talons, who helped Cobb take Robin to a waiting helicopter and left after he had. We boarded the bioship and left before the villains could return."

Batman breathed shallowly, trying to control his panic. After taking in the information, Batman looked at the team, meeting each of their gazes. "Robin told you his story?" Each member of the team nodded, and a few murmured, _yes_. Batman couldn't take time to be relieved that Robin had trusted someone other than himself and Alfred, and whirled around suddenly enough to startle some of the team members as he made his way to the zeta tubes.

Superman took a few brisk steps toward Batman, laying a hand on his shoulder. "Batman… please let us help you. We can help find him faster." Batman cast a glance behind him, looking at the League members and the Team, who looked in equal parts guilty, terrified, and determined.

Batman's mouth set into a grim line. "Fine. My city, my son, I'm in charge. Follow me through the zeta into the Batcave, and don't touch anything."

Superman looked hesitant, but said what was on his mind. "Batman… are you sure Robin is even in Gotham?"

Batman nodded his head sharply. "Yes. The Court is obsessed with ruling Gotham. Robin's full title among the Courts is 'the Gray Son of Gotham.' They'll want to taunt me by imprisoning my son in my own city, and taking the Gray Son out of Gotham is unthinkable to them. To the Court, Robin is their property, and they wouldn't dream of taking their property out of their kingdom. The Court fully believes that they have absolute control over Gotham, and even though I am there, they will believe that they can hide Robin there the best."

With that, Batman walked through the zeta tube.

 **Batman 02**

 **A/N:** Anyone else love how Robin's zeta designation is B01? I think it signifies that he's pretty much destined to lead the Justice League, because let's face it, there is no way Superboy could lead it. I know this is short, but everything will really pick up next chapter. I wanted to get this out quickly. Thanks for all of your wonderful support! Keep reviewing, and I'll see if I can make it to fifteen chapters! GUYS WE HAVE 100 FOLLOWERS! Whoa! We have 79 favorites, we can make that 100! And… whoa, 67 reviews! Please! Let's try to get to 100 on everything! 8,283 views… daaaang. SERIOUSLY THOUGH. 100 REVIEWS. WE CAN DO IT!

Raze Olympus: Thanks for yelling at me to get moving! Most people would get offended, but not I… I need all the encouragement I can get. Hopefully this chapter met (and/or exceeded) expectations!

WhenUniversesCollide: Oh, I DESPISE it when an author hasn't updated for years, and the story is getting tons of attention. I'm like, okay, you have hundreds of reviews, follows, and favorites, and you couldn't bother to finish the story?! Makes me so mad… You should update too! If I can do it, you can do it! Lol, now I think I'll see what stories you have. Maybe I've already read a few of them. And one can never get enough of Robin in peril. Let's face it, we're all sadists.

Tilicia: I see your point, but in this story, Robin's only friend his age (outside superheroing) is Barbara, and she doesn't know about Robin. Yet. So Bats is much more encouraging in this world of Robin. He wants Robin to make friends and not be as antisocial as he is. Here, Batman gave Robin permission to share his ID, but Robin doesn't really want to tell the team his backstory. I'll get more in depth with this in the story later. And I sorta kinda needed the team to know Rob's backstory so that they'd grasp the true gravity of the situation when Robin was taken captive the next chapter.

Rainfall04: Hello, my most regular reviewer! Lol, seriously, you review every chapter and IT'S AWESOME. I'm trying to be original, and keep y'all on your toes. I'm going for 'whoa, never thought _that_ scenario would happen in my wildest dreams!' I think I answered your question about where Robin was going. I love Gotham too much to go anywhere else! And what is possibly more secretive than Gotham?! It's _Gotham_! As for Psimon… hahaha you're cute. You really thought I'd let Robin off with a bit of mind control?! I'm too sadistic. And it's overdone. BWAHAHA! And yes, the Talon's weakness to cold will be a big help to the team/mentors/Batsy. And ooooh, what I question! I am a blonde caucasian, so I'd go… silver, dark blue, and… hmm. I'd say red, but that would make it a bit too obvious that I'm a demon. I'm trying to blend in with the humans, here! I'd go with… black. Not like, African, but ebony, night black. What about you?

Human Customs Still Elude Me: Love your name! Thank you, thank you, you're so kind! *Takes a bow*

BirdFlashIsNotAThing: Thank you for not assuming my gender lol. I am born and proud to be a girl. Thank you so much for your kind review!

Unlucky Alis: Oh, ho ho. No, there was no way this was going to be all, 'we won!' like in the regular show. I'm almost insulted you thought it would go smoothly. And I hope you didn't forget what happened to the Atom a few chapters back… that'll be important because… SPOILERS! And yes, I myself am a fan of birdnapped Robin. Obviously. And I'm a bit scared I'm digging myself a hole by making the Light so powerful, but… meh. I'll figure it out!

DemonDance: Thank you, thank you! I have updated! You may cheer now…


	11. Suppress

**A/N:** So sorry it took so long, I had to figure out where I was taking the story, who was going to die… I mean, who is going to be severely injured, yeah… and I also had to get over my laziness. This week has been absolutely brutal. I just don't know why I'm so tired. On top of it, now I've got this virus that's been going around my high school and making your throat hurt for a week, then stopping. Misery in its purest form.

The Court was assembled in a richly furnished assembly room. The Grandmaster and his wife sat in throne-like seats at the center of it all, surrounded by the rest of the Court aristocrats. In the center of the U-shaped assembly knelt the head Talon, William Cobb. The Grandmaster studied his favorite Talon. "Talon, is there progress with the Gray Son?"

Cobb's eyes stayed diverted differently towards the floor. "There is progress. He is not as defiant… but the progress is not enough, as you predicted, Master. My grandson will not fight the Court's enemies or be convinced to take a life soon."

Behind his mask, the Grandmaster's lips curled into a self-satisfied smile. "That is where you are wrong, Talon. The Gray Son can be broken more easily than you believe. Perhaps the Gray Son's absence from the Court has been a blessing in disguise. He has gained a family, he has made _friends_ with those fools in the Justice League. Once his second family is ripped away in front of him, the Gray Son will become much more pliable. While the Light was trying to find a way to control the Justice League, they first experimented with nerve technology. The method works, but the technology was useless because it required each individual to be monitored, and was too expensive, but I believe that it will be perfect for the Gray Son. Once the Gray Son's family is murdered by his own hand, he will be much more obedient."

Cobb's mouth moved, forming an identical smirk to the one that was on his Master's face. "It will be done as you say, Grandmaster."

 **000000000**

Dick woke up flat on his stomach on the metal table this time, still held down by the same restraints as before. His world felt hazy, and he could vaguely hear people talking along with a burning agony that rushed through his body, especially at the joints.

" _He's awake!"_

" _Do something, doctor!"_

" _I-I-I d-don't think t-that he c-can withstand a-another-"_

" _Do it."_

" _Yes, sir."_

With that statement, Dick felt the familiar sensation of a needle sinking into his inner elbow, and he fell into darkness again.

 **000000000**

Robin awoke feeling the same agony that had coursed through his body earlier, only diminished. He groaned and moved a bit, then froze when pain rushed through his limbs like fire. A noiseless groan escaped the boy's lips, his mouth moving but no sound coming out. Dick tried to move against his restraints again, but froze as his joints screamed with unbearable pain once more. Once the pain had receded, Robin laid there, still, until a voice sounded out of the darkness.

"It is time, Gray Son."

Robin's eyes widened with utter terror as his body was freed by a low-ranking Talon and, without his consent, his body began moving smoothly off the table, this time with no pain. Robin watched in horror as his hand rose and clenched effortlessly, and spotted a silver disk embedded in the skin on the back of his wrist. Robin soundlessly whimpered as his possessed body lifted itself off the table, and he caught a glimpse of more disks in his hips, knees, and ankles. He could feel the disks embedded in his joints, and the largest one at the base of his spine.

Robin nearly wept when his body fell into a submissive kneeling posture when the Grandmaster swept into the room. The Grandmaster studied the kneeling boy and his lips curled into a smile. "Talon Cobb, are you in complete control?"

Despite the horror-stricken expression on the child, the Grandmaster saw the boy's head nod and he rose to his feet, keeping his head bowed in a clearly servile posture. The head of the Court smiled. "Good, Talon. Go to the helicopter. The distraction has already begun, and the League is taking the bait. Kill all the sidekicks and Batman. If Ra's al Ghul objects, kill him. The Gray Son's suit, which is also waiting in the helicopter is equipped with kryptonite and other things to counteract the Leaguers. Kill as many as possible." Robin threw himself against the walls of his mental prison, screaming and sending fruitless commands to his body to obey him, not Cobb.

It was all in vain. Robin watched through his eyes as his body was walked to the helicopter, without any hesitation or stuttering, no matter how hard Robin tried to stop himself.

 **A/N:** Yes, I am highly aware of how stupidly short this is, but I needed this chapter to be here because next chapter is… big. If I kept going, there wouldn't be another place to stop for awhile and it would take me MONTHS to write. Question, do you guys want someone to die? I don't think I will, but if one of you wants someone to die… I can work it in there. Whatever. Oh, coverart is done by WhenUniversesCollide! You're _amaaazing_!

BirdFlashIsNotAThing: Sorry I kept you waiting, how was this chapter? And thank you, I rather think my work is awesome too! XD

DemonDance: Wow, just… wow. It really means a lot to me that you're that excited about my story! I'm so sorry it took so long, hopefully you like this chapter?

Rainfall04: Seriously, you're, like, a regular. You always review, and It. Is. Seriously. Awesome. Hopefully I pulled off this chapter. Wince. It's so short. I do love getting in Batsy's head, and I despise it when he's portrayed as overly soft in public, cause he's just _not_. It's how he is, and I love how Robin accepts that and loves him anyways. And god, yes, Psimon is overused. And you said that you suspected that I was not a demon because my work is too good (very flattering, thank you!) I casually walked up to one of my friends, asked her if she thought I was human, and her response was: f*** no, you're way too messed up. I kid you not. And as for your question, I saw the word 'lake' and was like: THAT ONE! I love sailing, and I literally would die if I could not at least be near water. If I'm not a demon, I'm definitely a mermaid or a water nymph. It's like, an obsession. And don't worry, I love long reviews!

WhenUniversesCollide: OMG, thanks again for the coverart! And I read a few of your stories, they're really good! I do love the Court's obsession with Gotham. Sorry this chapter took so darn long to write!

Dratias: Robin angst is amazing, yes. As for Batman and co finding Dick in time… ah haha. About that… yeah. And I actually have a plan for where the story's going now! That should help with updates. And the Robin!whump is definitely not over. I have plans. Big plans. Nope, no serum. The Court wants Robin to reach his full potential, which means no serum until he's fully grown, like, 20 or so years old. Yes, I'm hype for the Daddy!Bats too! As for a sequel or oneshot series… how does both sound?! I've already got a sequel name… The Blue Knight! Cause this is The Dark Squire! Geddit? I love myself so much sometimes… question, I occassionally glance at your page, and I'm wondering if you're going to publish your apprentice story? I liked it already, I think it'll be really good!

Rieharper: Ha, the story didn't have a direction! Now it does… but still! Lol, I love how you people think I actually have a plan, or an outline, or the foggiest clue of what I'm doing… ya'll are hilarious. I love you guys!

CHEESEPUFF: It's cool, it boosts the number of reviews I get if you review twice! XD Glad you liked the chapter! And I do love major plot twists, don't you? I have a few more planned out…

Peaches20: Aww, I do try to be descriptive! You're so sweet! Good to know the underlines are working! (finally, stupid things)

Guest: YEEEEEEESSSSS!

Tayashia: Thank you! I'm pretty excited for the ending, and I think you guys will like it!

AnimeLover217: Sorry I took so long to update! Yes, Daddy!Bats is pissed! And Oh. My. Gosh. No offense, but I've said this a million times. ROBIN. IS. GOING. TO. BE. MUTE. FOREVER. End of story. It's like, the part of my story that distinguishes it from all other Talon stories.

Aquarica: Well, they can save Robin… later. I'm having too much fun right now.

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Psh, find Robin soon? What kind of sadist do you take me for? Nah, that's too _easy_ … yes, Ra's is going to be pissed as all hell. How he reacts… well, you'll find that out next chapter. And sure, Robin can be rescued… after I'm finished with him.


	12. Freed

**A/N:** So, yep, another chapter. Hopefully this is faster coming out than the last one. Wince. And longer. Double wince. And as this amazing story is coming to one of it's climaxes, I would like to announce that there will be a sequel! And it's going to be _absolutely nothing like_ season 2. At first, I hated season 2, mostly because of the Supermartian split up, the lack of Nightwing, and the destruction of the small group dynamic, but then I came to accept it. Now, I'm rewriting it to how it should have been. It'll be called The Blue Knight, so stay tuned once this is over! Oh, I was listening to Skyfall by Adele, so hopefully that helped me be a bit dramatic! XD

Dick's body stepped off the helicopter into a war zone. League members were flying everywhere, strafing with laser beams, power ring blasts, and powerful fists sending legions of goons from every member of the Light and it's allies flying. Cobb, for it was Cobb in control, not Robin, took in the sight with annoyance when he saw that the sidekicks and their mentors weren't there, just the rest of the League. Dick, trapped in his own body, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his friends, his father, and his friends' mentors were absent.

Then, Robin's eyes widened in horror as his arm hurled a knife at Hawkwoman, embedding itself in her shoulder. He breathed a sigh of relief as Hawkman caught his spouse and flew off with her, presumably to safety. As Cobb surveyed the battlefield, Robin could only pray desperately that his body wouldn't kill anyone.

 **000000000**

The team stood in a small group with their mentors in the Batcave as Batman typed furiously on the Batcomputer. They now had a new understanding of how patient Robin could be, as Batman refused to tell them anything but harshly growl at them to shut up and let him work. The Team's mentors looked more comfortable with the situation, as they were used to Batman telling them absolutely nothing until the last minute.

Suddenly, Superman put his hand up to the comm in his ear. "Yes, I'm here Hawkman, what is it?" He listened for a minute, then replied, "Can't the rest of the League handle it, we're trying to rescue Robin… WHAT?! We'll be there in a few minutes." Superman looked at the assembled heroes.

"There's a huge battle going on between the Light and the League."

Batman didn't even turn around. "The League can handle it. I'm busy-"

Superman cut him off, a risky thing even in the best of times. "Hawkman says Robin's there."

"WHAT?!" The question came from everyone in the cave, and Superman winced as his super hearing made the question even louder.

"There's a boy of Robin's height and build, dressed in his Gray Son armor, who just threw a knife into Hawkwoman's shoulder." Batman was out of his seat and heading for the zeta tubes in an instant, the rest of the heroes trailing after him.

 **000000000**

Batman and the rest of the hero flew over a battle taking place in a secluded area of the Appalachian mountains in Virginia. They took in the sight of the raging battle for a second, then Batman turned to Superman. "Help the League. I'll find Robin." Superman nodded, then lead the Team and the League into the fray.

Batman took out his binoculars and scanned the area from the ridge he was perched on. After a few passes, he spotted a helicopter with the insignia of the Court of Owls. Focusing closer, Batman spied a small figure in armor that was adorned with countless knives and a handgun at his hip. Upon further inspection, Batman noticed the small insignias that adorned the armor which marked him as the Gray Son.

The Dark Knight grasped the sides of his cape and jumped off the ridge, gliding across the battlefield in a risky maneuver and knocked into the boy in the Talon armor who had just drawn his gun and was about to fire it. The gun went flying, and so did the boy's mask. Batman froze as he saw the dark blue eyes of his son staring at him with fear. It took him a moment, but Batman noticed that Robin was mouthing something at him. _Run_.

Batman realized why Robin wanted him to run as the boy kicked the Dark Knight off of him and stood up. His eyes and facial expression of utter horror was completely out of sync with the fierce and angry fighting stance the child took, pulling a sword from his back and readying it.

His body was being controlled. Batman caught a glimpse of a silver disk embossed with the Court's owl symbol embedded into his boy's neck, and a flare of anger went through Batman's body as his son's mouth kept moving, begging him to run before it was too late. The sounds of the battle were swept away by the roaring in Batman's ears. How _dare_ they touch _his_ child.

Batman was pulled out of his righteous thoughts and overwhelming rage by blocking Robin's, no, Cobb's (who else would be controlling Robin?) sword stroke on the serrated edge of his gauntlet. He had to be controlled, tactical. He couldn't unleash his rage, and possibly harm Robin. He had to neutralize the boy without hurting him. He would never forgive himself if he caused Robin permanent damage.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. Robin was always a challenge to fight. His Talon training taught him to kill, and he had to be scaled back, which made him a far better fighter than one trained to merely subdue. It put him on Batman's level. This was normally a good thing, but now Robin, no, Cobb was fighting to kill, not subdue, and Batman was hindered by the fact that he refused to harm Robin more than a bruise or two and a nerve pinch. As they battled, Batman narrowed his eyes. He would not fail.

He could not fail his son.

The two brilliant fighters battled, one fighting defensively, trying to keep from harming his opponent, while the other twisted and flipped and hacked with ease, paying no attention to the other's inhibitions and doing his best to kill the man he fought, even as his face made it clear that this was the last thing he wanted to do.

At the Court's base, Cobb narrowed his eyes, determined to finally kill the man who had stolen his Gray Son for valuable years. The assassin's eyes lit up as he managed to sweep Batman's legs out from under him, the man falling hard on his back and pinned in place by the sword.

Robin sobbed soundlessly as his body held a sword to Batman's throat, screaming _no_ silently into no avail. Batman's cowl had been knocked off his head, and Dick stared at Bruce, pleading at him to save him, to stop his body from doing this awful thing. But Bruce was pinned.

Bruce stared upward into his son's terrified face. He took a deep breath, knowing he was about to die, and spoke. "I love you, son. Please remember that you always have a choice, you can be your own person and not their weapon. You don't need me to save you, son." It wasn't a last minute plea for his life, and all three people could tell. It was a father begging his son to save himself even after he was gone.

Dick's eyes widened and he nearly cried as he realized that Bruce didn't have some brilliant last minute plan. Not this time. Dick's eyes narrowed and determination overtook him. He was tired of being manipulated, of being hurt, and of being told that he belonged to the Court. He belonged to no one. He was his own person. He was a symbol of hope in the darkness. He was Robin.

Bruce saw Dick's face transform into one of immense pain as the boy's arms shook and ever-so-slowly drew the sword away from Bruce's throat, the child's face a mask of utter concentration.

Dick felt his body being overwhelmed with immeasurable pain as he pulled the sword away, forcing his body to do what _he_ wanted, fire burning along his nervous system as the strain on his body became too much and his body collapsed as he passed out in Batman's arms, his last thought before he passed out, possibly about to die from the strain he had put on his body, being victorious. He had won. They would not control him. Never again.

 **000000000**

Cobb screamed in pain as he disconnected from the system and slumped down, the Grandmaster furiously asking what had happened. Cobb grit his teeth. "Master, the Gray Son fought off control long enough for the strain to force his body to pass out."

The Grandmaster grit his teeth in fury. "It doesn't matter. We shall reclaim the Gray Son in phase two. We will simply have to break him the hard way." Turning to the Talon next to him, the Grandmaster gave him his orders. "Inform Klarion that phase two has begun."

"This is far from over."

 **000000000**

Batman cradled his son in his arms and radioed J'onn. When the martian landed, Batman spoke while keeping his eyes focused on Robin's face. "J'onn, please fly us to the nearest zeta tube and help me. Robin needs medical attention immediately.

Batman looked up, satisfaction flashing in the eyes that were once more obscured by the cowl.

"It's over. We've won."

Oh, how wrong he was.

 **A/N:** HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Wow, just… wow. Guys, 12 reviews and we break 100. I believe in us! We can do it! We're already at 115 followers, and all we need is THREE more favorites, and that'll break 100. C'mon guys, I know we can do it! Twelve reviews, I believe in you! Do it for the super-fast chapter! Please! I'm begging you! I need reviews! And guys, IT'S NOT OVER! It's not quite sequel time yet. When I say it's not over, I don't mean that it'll be finished in the sequel, we've only hit one of the climaxes! There's still a few chapters left! Stay tuned! And guys, I need some support right now because my entire family literally always makes fun of me for writing and they keep saying it's a stage I'll grow out of, but I don't want to grow out of it! Please, I just… I need someone to tell me that it's okay to love writing fanfiction, that it's not stupid. Normally, it's my friend Lilly who does that, but we're in a three and a half day weekend and I'm just really feeling sad because my family doesn't really understand me. Enough angsting. Shoutouts!

AnimeLover217: I updated! Pretty fast, this time! Like, wow, I'm actually really impressed with myself!

WhenUniversesCollide: I'm so glad you love this story! And your artwork is wonderful, it just makes me feel so good that someone would want to make fanart about my story. I got a lot of people telling me not to kill anyone, so the stabbing thing with Hawkwoman was the only serious injury anyone got by Robin's hand. Hope you liked this chapter!

Platypus2014: Didn't kill anyone… this chapter. I make no promises!

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Ra's is a part of this. And I hope nobody forgot about what happened in Chapter 3. He isn't the only enemy that's keeping a level head. He's just the only one I've mentioned more than once. Let's just say some things are about to come back to bite the Court.

Guest: Didn't! Yet…

DemonDance: Lol, your comment made me laugh in math class and I got some weird looks but whatever. Don't die from excitement, please!

Tayashia: Okaaaay… you people ruin all my fun! Jk, jk. Was originally planning on killing Hawkwoman, I think your vote may have saved her. And the fact that dealing with the resulting angst would have taken _forever_.

BirdFlashIsNotAThing: Sorry, I didn't get to kill anyone… yet. Mwahaha! I'm glad my story's magnificent! XD

CHEESEPUFF: You should get an account. Just sayin'. As for the chapter title, I have a plan! Nope, lol I don't, I'll figure something out when I post. Awww, thanks for recommending me! And yes, I know about the rogue Talons, but I want Dick to be the only person to ever escape the Court, and I actually had no idea Mary was mute. And I'm focusing more on Batman than the team, but I think it's a bit obvious that he's being controlled, especially once his helmet came off and everyone could see his face. This chapter's longer and a LOT faster, so hopefully it makes up for last chapter! Yes, Dick will become Nightwing. Not like he can be Robin forever. And he's gonna be Nightwing for… reasons. No spoilers, but there's something in Nightwing's name that struck me as really ironic while reading the Court of Owls storyline.


	13. Acclimatize

**A/N:** Guys, school is absolute insanity right now, and I'm on the tennis team. Basically, I'm busy. I'm so sorry for taking so long, but I hope to have this chapter up by Sunday. Ugh, I'm so late. I rented Kubo and the Two Strings and watched it for the first time recently… and oh my Batman it was beautiful. I bought While My Guitar Gently Weeps (one of the main songs) and it's the soundtrack for this chapter and probably the next one. And happy birthday to me, I turned 15 Wednesday!

Batman stood by a hospital bed in the Watchtower Medbay, acting like a guardian angel over the tiny boy who was practically covered in thick bandages. Robin had required extensive surgery to remove the nerve-controlling hardware. It took hours for the best neurologist the League could get (paid millions of dollars by Batman) and Martian Manhunter to remove it. Batman had watched obsessively from the observation window, especially when the main controller, the disk on Robin's neck, and the disks on Robin's wrists were removed. The surgery had been complicated, especially because of Robin's healing factor, but they had gotten it done.

Now, over twelve hours later (Batman had lost track of the time) the son of Batman was laying unconscious on the bed. Robin was covered in bandages, normally the ex-Talon's healing factor would have repaired him of any wound already, but this was a delicate repair of the nerves and muscles, and as such it took Robin's body much longer to heal. The estimation was another six hours before Robin could safely move.

Batman stood, still and silent, and brooded over the body of the child he felt he had failed so badly.

 **000000000**

Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, and the rest of the original founders of the League were sitting in the Watchtower. Well, except for Hawkwoman and her husband, as they were in the med bay. Batman was still sitting by Robin's bedside. All the Leaguers but the founders, Hawkman, and Leaguers associated with the Team had been banned from the Watchtower. Young Justice was on lockdown at the Flash's house under the strict gaze of Iris West-Allen (remember, there's no Mt. Justice).

Heads snapped up as the zeta tubes activated. No one was supposed to be allowed through! As the golden light died, the intruders were announced.

 **Vandal Savage G06**

 **Deathstroke G07**

Instantly, the two villains were confronted with glowing red laser eyes, crossed wrist braces, the green glow of a power ring, a red streak stealing their weapons, and the other Leaguers present. Immediately, Savage and Deathstroke raised their hands in surrender.

Superman was floating a few feet off the ground, eyes glowing red with rage. "What are you doing here?"

Savage smiled unnervingly. "We're not here to fight you, Superman. Just to talk."

 **000000000**

The Leaguers had escorted the two intruders into a secure room to talk. After Savage explained how the Court had overthrown him, the two groups sat in thoughtful silence. After a moment, Flash pushed himself up off the wall he had been leaning on, and voiced everyone else's thoughts. "And why should we help you regain control of the Light? And why's Deathstroke here?!"

Deathstroke spoke up from where he was standing next to Savage. "I owe Vandal a favor. I'm repaying it."

Savage nodded briskly. "As for why you should help me regain my power, I'm the lesser of two evils, aren't I? I would never hurt a child or commit the atrocities the Court of Owls does-"

"Cut the crap, Savage." Wonder Woman had interrupted. "If it benefitted you, you would have done the exact same thing as the Court."

"But he is correct." Martian Manhunter was now speaking. "He is the lesser of two evils."

The League made eye contact with each other, holding a silent conversation without a mental link easily through shared experience and danger, and coming to a quick and unanimous agreement. Superman turned to the two villains. "We will accept your help, and we will let you go after this is through. However, any member of the Light whom we manage to capture will go to jail. We need all the help we can get against the Court."

Deathstroke sneered. "Why not ask the little owlet for information?" Every hero tensed and glared at the mercenary. Wonder Woman yelled a war cry and lunged at Slade, only to be held back by Superman.

"Wonder Woman! Now is not the time!"

Wonder Woman shook Superman off and began striding towards the door. "I will tell Batman that we have allowed this piece of filth into our inner sanctuary while his child is injured." The venom in her voice was clear. Diana was already regretting allowing the villains to work with them. The decision was made, though.

Green Arrow let out a half-laugh, half-snort. "Glad I don't have to do _that_. Got enough problems without getting beaten up by Batman." Diana stalked out the door without a backwards glance, and the remaining Leaguers were left staring at the villains, the villains staring at the Leaguers.

Black Canary interrupted the silence. "What do we do now?"

 **000000000**

Wonder Woman slowed down as she approached the infirmary. She sent a friendly but somber nod at the Hawks, who were conversing quietly, and stepped towards Richard's recovery room. She opened the door and Batman's head snapped over to her, briefly tensing, then relaxing as he realized she wasn't a threat to the dark-haired boy on the bed.

Without looking at her, Batman asked, "What's wrong, Diana?"

Wonder Woman sighed morosely. "Vandal Savage used to be the head of the Light. The Court severely injured Savage and took control of the Light. Savage and Deathstroke came to us and requested to be allowed to help against the Light for revenge. We've agreed to let them help."

Batman went very still, fury etched into every line of his body. "You allowed two of our most deadly adversaries into the Watchtower while two of our members lie critically wounded?!"

Diana sighed. "I don't like it either, Bruce, but… we have no choice. We need all the manpower we can get. Also, they informed us that the Light plans to put special chips on us to mind control the League. They've already got one of our less important members infected. We don't know who."

Batman had relaxed infinitesimally. "If they have someone under their control, they could get into the Watchtower."

Just then, a red alarm blared from the wall.

" _ **Alert, intruders detected! Alert, intruders detected!"**_

Batman and Wonder Woman's eyes met, wide with alarm. Batman turned to look at the vulnerable boy lying on the hospital bed. "Go help. I'm staying here to protect him."

Wonder Woman nodded and flew through the door, which Batman locked and bolted after her. Gotham's vigilante stood next to the bed at the ready, batarang in one hand, the other resting on Robin's shoulder.

They would not take his son again.

 **A/N:** Pfft, that so-called 'peace' didn't last long. We broke 100 reviews! I'm so proud! Thank you all so much! I never dreamed I'd get this much attention! You're all beautiful people and I love you all! Guys, I was just rewatching the Justice League episode, Wild Card, and I realized something, looked it up, then found out I was right! The same people who voiced the Teen Titans voiced the Royal Flush Gang! And the parts match up perfectly too! I realized when I heard King speak and was like HOLY BATMAN it's Robin! And Jack is Beast Boy, and Queen is Starfire, Ace is Raven, and Ten is Cyborg! Gaaah fangirling SO HARD!

AnimeLover217: Bats has his kid back but now he has to fight for him… only a few more chapters, folks!

BirdFlashIsNotAThing: I don't think I met the sadism quota again, but hey… Daddy!Bats. Always a great thing.

Platypus2014: Thank you so much! Very inspirational. I will not give up on this story, promise!

WhenUniversesCollide: Thank you again for your wonderful fan art! It truly inspires me (she says after a month-long wait)! And I agree. I don't think I'll grow out of writing anytime soon. Got too much inspiration! And that was a beautiful description of writing. And the long review is fine! I love long reviews!

Tayashia: Aww! Thank you! I get so much support from you guys, it's amazing! I'm finally out of my funk! Back in the saddle, baby!

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Haha… he needs to be ready for the Talons… oops. He's kinda bedridden… whoopsies. Sorrynotsorry. And Alfred's chicken soup will have to wait! Go kick some a- sorry, butt, Batsy!

Human Customs Still Elude Me: I am amazing, aren't I? Haha, I crack myself up. Thanks for the amazing (hehe) review!

CHEESEPUFF: Oops, I kinda sorta took a month to update. Mah bad! I hope you can get back into your account! As for the chapters, I have a plan! Not necessarily a good plan… but I have a plan! Have you died from suspense? I hope not. I like reading your reviews. As for why Nightwing is an ironic name… ha, I'm not playing my hand that easy! You'll just have to wait some more! The sequel will be up… after I finish this story! Yeah, I have no idea. It'll happen tho. I love this universe too much to stop.

TheChickenOfJustice: I just can't get over that awesome name. Have you ever watched How to Train Your Dragon, Race to the Edge? The chicken is never wrong! Lol, I'm such a nut… a Tuff/Ruff/Gruff/Buff nut! Anyway, wow, it's amazing you love this story so much and I'm SO SORRY I took so long!

Star-the-Writer: Yaaay! So many reviews! And I do try, thanks! XD Thanks for motivating me to get this chapter up! You rock!


	14. Latitudinarian

**A/N:** I'm trying to get this out faster. I've now dubbed this AU the Knighthood Universe, so… yup. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers  & Coldplay is the song of the day. It references Batman and Superman! Stay by Alessia Cara and Zedd is awesome too. Look out for the next installation of the series after I finish this story, it'll be called _The Blue Knight_. And yes, this chapter Robin's finally awake again. I got tired of him lying there like a potato.

Dick woke with a start, as he typically did when waking up. After all, if he was being attacked, being woken up groggy was useless. Such weaknesses had long been trained out of him. The first thing he took in, at a lightning-quick speed, was a black gloved hand resting protectively on his shoulder. Robin sat up to free his hands so he could 'talk.' Tried to, anyway. The same burning pain that had coursed through his body before Great-Grandfather had taken control of him traveled through his body again.

The boy's face twisted into a soundless scream of agony, and Batman felt the motion under his hand, turning to face Robin and whispering how he was safe now as he held Robin still until the spasms passed. Bruce gently eased Robin down on the hospital bed. "You have to stay still. We surgically removed the neural controls, but if you move too much there's a high chance of you permanently damaging your muscles. You could become paralyzed." Robin froze at the idea that he could be forced to lay still forever.

Through his blind panic, Robin was anchored by Batman's gloved hands, one resting on his shoulder, the other running soothingly through his dark hair. For a few seconds, Robin nearly spiraled further into his panic attack as Bruce stopped to tug off his gloves for a second, then continued calming Dick down. After a while, neither could care how long, the boy's breathing settled and their eyes met. Batman had pulled off his cowl, and Dick could see his anxiety and fear for him. Dick smiled shakily, tears beginning to roll from the corners of his eyes. Batman wiped his tears from his cheek, and set his mouth in a hard line that was easily read by his son as worry.

Dick felt trapped inside his own body, unable to move or do anything but lay there and feel. At least he could feel, he consoled himself. Suddenly, an explosion shook the Watchtower. Robin tried his best not to flinch, but winced from the unavoidable movement. His questioning eyes turned to Batman, who now had his eyes on the door. Batman could feel Robin's gaze, and glanced at him before answering the unasked question.

"It's the Court. They're trying to invade the Watchtower. All League members who aren't founding members or have a protege on the Team are on-world. Vandal Savage and Deathstroke the Terminator are helping us. Hawkman and Hawkwoman are in the larger med-bay." At Robin's horrified face, Batman rushed to reassure him. "They're fine, the knife was nowhere near fatal. The Hawks will probably join the fight if it gets closer. I'm staying here with you, as a last line of defense."

Robin's stomach turned. It was _his_ fault the most important members of the League were battling hordes of immortal assassins. It was _his_ fault Hawkwoman was injured. If the Watchtower was destroyed, it would be _his_ fault. He felt sick.

Batman could see Robin's guilt written all over his face and interpreted it easily. "It _isn't_ your fault." At Robin's raised eyebrow that screamed _really?_ , Batman frowned. "It _isn't_. Robin, the League is your family. They… _we_ love you. They aren't fighting for me, or because their base was attacked, they're fighting because they don't want those _sick psychopaths_ to hurt you again. Don't dishonor their bravery by saying that it's your fault." Robin sighed silently. He didn't nod, but Batman could tell he had accepted what he had said. Robin was a warrior as well. He knew what it was to fight for what you loved and believed in. He understood why the League was fighting for him, as Robin had fought for others.

Both mentor and protege were shaken out of their thoughts (literally) by the Watchtower rocking again. Batman's hand tightened on Robin's shoulder for a minute, then his mouth set in a hard line. "The League can't win. They can't fight a healing factor like that, in addition to the immortality and skill."

Robin was forced to remain silent as he could see plans being drafted, sketched out, then discarded within instants. Suddenly, an idea struck him. Could it… _it could work_. Robin knew, without a hint of doubt, that it would work, if only executed properly. But how could he _tell_ them?!

Overwhelming frustration swept through Robin at his lack of communication. He thought having to sign instead of speak was bad… this was a nightmare.

Suddenly, his problem was solved. Robin felt a mindlink snap into place, but this wasn't M'gann's soft, sweet touch, it was the polite and gentle mind of J'onn. From Batman's jolt of surprise, Robin could tell that he was connected too. Immediately, voices came over the link, Deathstroke and Savage demanding to know what they were doing to their minds and J'onn reassuring them as fast as thought that he wasn't reading their minds, just communicating, and an argument erupted while the rest of the Leaguers told what they were doing and used the link as it was meant to, a communication line.

Robin saw Batman scowl deepening from where he lay, and could tell that his father was ready to explode. Before he could, Robin spoke. Well, shouted. Well… thought.

 _QUIET! I have a plan!_

Instant silence. Everyone knew they were pretty much doomed, so any suggestions would be helpful. After a few seconds where Deathstroke asked who had spoken and Green Lantern told him that it was Robin, Robin continued.

 _Are the Talons avoiding ripping a hole in the outer wall?_

An immediate answer came from Superman. _Yes. One took a direct punch from me rather than having me punch through the wall._

Robin grinned. _Perfect. Cold is deadly to Talons, remember? What's more cold than deep space?_

After a few moments of silence, Green Arrow spoke. _You want us to throw them into space? There's too many of them!_ His confusion was obvious.

 _No,_ Robin answered back, _I want you to draw them deeper into the Watchtower, then evacuate through the emergency zeta tube in room T51._

Flash answered him now. _What? T51 is an empty storage room!_

Robin rolled his eyes. _Really? You thought Batman wouldn't put a secret backdoor into the Watchtower? It ends in a safe house in Gotham. As we leave, we can self-destruct the Watchtower and the Talons will either burn alive or freeze to death._

 _Yeah… that could work!_ Wonder Woman answered. _I see the Grandmaster and his right hand here too, protected by some elite Talons… if he dies, then the Court may never recover._

 _One problem_ , said Superman. _We don't have a self destruct._

 _What? Who has a hideout without a self-destruct?_ Savage asked incredulously.

 _The heroes who have seen too many self-destructs ruin an entire plan._ Superman retorted.

 _That's fine,_ Batman cut in, _I can just remotely have the thrusters put the Talons out of orbit. The zeta tubes will be disabled as soon as the satellite goes off course… the Talons will be stuck here for eternity, since they can't die of starvation and thirst. The Watchtower's systems will ensure that it'll go around obstacles like planets or space ships… this will work. And instead of dying, they can suffer for all eternity._ Towards the end, Batman's voice turned into a vicious, low growl.

 _All right,_ Superman said, _meet us in the evac room._

 **000000000**

The situation would have been hilarious, if he wasn't so terrified. Batman didn't want to risk Robin moving or being carried, so he was being wheeled down the halls of the Watchtower with the Hawks as escorts by Batman. The Hawks expertly maced (apparently maced isn't a word. Spell check is no fun.) their opponents and cleared obstructions, while making their way to the elevator.

Once in the elevator, everyone took a deep breath and stood in silence, leaning against the walls (or laying on the gurney, in Robin's case). Suddenly, a loud _bang_ came from above and a dent was formed in the ceiling. Several more followed, and the now tensed heroes wordlessly watched the numbers of the elevator go up until the finally reached floor T. They dove (rolled) out of the elevator just in time, as Talons began banging on the elevator doors. Not pausing, they ran to the storage room and the heroes who had been fighting arrived moments after, barring the door and evacuating through the zeta tubes. Robin insisted on being the last to leave, and was teleported seconds before Talons burst through the door.

The last thing Robin saw was his Great-Grandfather's furious face before he was bathed in a golden light and appeared in the safe house. Batman was at the controls linked to the Watchtower instantly, and flipped multiple switches, typed passwords in, and… sat back in relief as the monitor turned off.

"It's over." He said, "We've won."

Robin passed out from exhaustion.

 **A/N:** OHMYGOSH! Wow, what a ride! Sorry, this did _not_ want to be written. At first I was going to have the Watchtower explode, but I wanted Cobb and the Grandmaster to suffer. Sorry if it was anticlimactic! All that's left is the epilogue, the watch out for _The White Prince_ and _The Blue Knight_! _The White Prince_ is what I'm naming the oneshot series for this universe, and _The Blue Knight_ is the sequel. I love you. All of you. You're so supportive and kind, and I'll rant about that in the epilogue. For now, shoutouts. Oh, and the chapter title, Latitudinarian, means tolerant (more towards religion, but I thought it fit.)

MMJDFandomMania: Saaaame. I fangirl whenever someone mentions my fandoms. And I do tend to be sadistic. Oh, and I'm planning a new HTTYD story, a genderbent AU… with a little something extra. Stay tuned for that!

TheChickenOfJustice: Ha. No cliffhanger this time, you're welcome! And I put in cliffhangers because it's fun. I love torturing readers nearly as much as Rick Riordan.

Tabiebear: I love this story too! Thank you so much, it means a lot to me that you like it! Stick around for the sequels!

Rainfall04: Glad you're liking it! Mmkay… let's see what answers I can give you without ruining the epilogue and/or sequel. Deathstroke is there… because I'm setting up for the sequel. As for if he's gonna kidnap Robin… no… he won't kidnap _Robin_ in _this_ story. However, Dick Grayson by a different name in the sequel smells as sweet. Team? Nah, they're kind of oblivious. This story is all about our beloved Batclan and everyone else pretty much just moves the story along. But I am pretty sure the team will be POed that they weren't included. Ummm… nah, I think it may enhance his brain capacity (like Slade's serum, though not as much) to make him a bit smarter, but he doesn't have photographic memory. He's just a genius. Lol. Bye, can't wait to hear from you again!

Star-The-Writer: Thanks for the review! Yeah, Batman kinda just defeated all of the Talons at once, didn't he? With Robin's (my) brilliant plan of course.

Dratias: XD XD XD

Aquarica: Yeeeeah… I kinda avoided the fight scenes… I'm terrible at them. I just kinda go: and Batman kicked a** while protecting Robin. Thanks!

xSapphirexRosesxFanx: Eh, we had a touching scene that took _forever_ to write, a fight, and Batman defeated them all in one fell blow by pushing a few buttons. With some help from our favorite Boy Wonder, of course!


	15. Labile

**A/N:** Okay, wowzas guys, chill, I'm pretty sure I mentioned I'd be posting an epilogue. We're not quite done yet. Also, with my little Easter egg way of naming chapters, I kinda need to have a solid fifteen. Don't get too excited yet. Read this, like, ½ epilogue, ½ author's note/appreciation of readers thingy, and ½ rant on how the last chapter never gets any reviews. Yes, I am aware that that's three halves. I never claimed to be good at math (I have no idea how I'm going into Pre-Calc next year). Seriously though, guys, there were no reviews! Just because the story's over and you won't get a shoutout doesn't mean you should stop reviewing! And to those who reviewed, you are getting a shoutout at the end of the epilogue for your amazingness, and reviews for the epilogue get shoutouts in chapter 1 of White Prince or Blue Knight, whichever I start first. I'll give ya some more information on that later.

The Team was kinda, sorta, really mad. They had tried to escape the West-Allen residence a grand total of 32 times that night… and failed. Iris West-Allen was, apparently, her own kind of superhero. So, the Team was quite angry that they hadn't been a part of the final battle for Robin's freedom and the fate of the world. When they were finally allowed to see Robin, they complained to him about it so much that he flat-out told them to shut up or get out, because they were making his ears hurt. Of course, he didn't actually _say_ it, he just- yeah, by now I hope it's obvious that he used sign language.

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Roy had been even more angry, but that was less about Robin and more about the fact that he was the stereotypical b****y teenager whenever he wasn't included in League matters and went on a rant at the League about how he was still treated as a kid, even though he was now a legit member of the JLA.

Shockingly, it turns out that b****ing at your bosses, most of whom have godlike power and others (Batman) had godlike aversion to being b****ed at, is a bad idea. He was promptly kicked out of the League unceremoniously. Roy then grew angry at Ollie for not being able to stop the Founders from kicking him out, and figured out that, duh, Red Arrow sounded a heck of a lot like oh, say, Green Arrow, and decided to change names into Arsenal and be an antihero, though he pretty much kept his costume.

Then he got involved with Cheshire just to spite Ollie and Artemis, and they got married. We all know how that ended.

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As for the League, they didn't care much that the Watchtower had been propelled into outer space. After all, it was practically a requirement for HQs to be blown up at some point, so the League had a backup plan. Some League members were mad about their stuff being sent into space, but hey, it was a crisis.

The League decided to take the loss of the Watchtower as an opportunity and tell the public that they were about to build an unweaponized satellite in space. Of course, no one said anything about the old one, as there was no way the League was going to take flack for that when it didn't even exist anymore. They got flack from G. Gordon Godfrey anyway, but there's only so much you can do about that guy. Watchtower 2.0 made it into space perfectly, and it was business as usual (I crack myself up… business as usual… lol).

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That leaves us with the Boy Wonder and the Dark Knight. Robin took a long time to recover, gain his strength, and generally took a break from heroing, which he sorely missed. Batman used the time to focus on healing his son, and, to a lesser extent, the League. However, both of them knew the peace wouldn't last forever, and something was about to change.

Instead of sitting back and waiting for some catastrophe to rip the Dynamic Duo apart (y'know, like a bullet to the chest), Dick decided to tackle the problem on his own. He was months away from turning 14, and it had been nearly six years since Bruce had taken him in. Nine since the deaths of his parents. Sitting in Bruce's study, waiting for him, Dick sighed and rested his head in his hands. This was precisely what was wrong. He was thinking of his life in three segments, Pre-Court, Court, and Post-Court. Dick knew enough about psychology to know that this was bad. He had to get over what the Court had done to him, or he would stagnate, and that would lead to brooding in a cave for the rest of his life.

However, acceptance didn't mean forgiveness, forgetting, or even somehow gaining his voice back. Dick knew that he had to accept that his voice was gone, it was no one's fault but the Court's, and there was no gaining it back. Although never-ending quests were considered heroic, that hopeless quest to take what had been taken from him would lead to nothing but ruin, and Dick wasn't interested in that kind of heroism.

Dick was broken out of his thoughts by the study door opening. Bruce entered, and promptly froze. He knew that look. Dick was about to tell him something he didn't want to hear. Bruce was tempted to turn around and walk back out, but Dick's steely glare pinned him down.

Sit down, Bruce. We need to talk. And that was what the Batman was afraid of.

Bruce sat down in his chair behind the desk, facing Dick, who was sitting the the 'guest' chair. He sighed heavily, then met eyes with his son. "Alright, Dick. What's going on?"

I can't be Robin anymore, Bruce. Bruce felt both elated and like he had been smacked in the face at the same time. Dick? Not Robin? Robin was a part of Dick, and Bruce knew it. He could never take Robin away without dire psychological consequences.

On the other hand, his son not being a vigilante meant he was considerably safer.

Bruce leant forward a bit. "Dick, are you sure you don't want to be a hero? I know you may be traumatized about the Court, but-"

Dick shook his head exasperatedly. No, no Bruce. I can't be Robin anymore. I need to move on, get a newer, more mature persona. I always knew that Robin had to be temporary. Robin was the Boy Wonder, and it was inevitable that I'd outgrow it. Also, Robin was a way to… shield myself from what the Court did to me. A way to stay in denial, and not fall into depression. I needed that at the time, but I have to move on now. I can't be Robin anymore, I need to accept what the Court took from me and move on.

Bruce nodded slowly. It made sense. Batman was his own shield, like Robin was to Dick, but he had never stepped out from behind his shield and it left him paranoid and lonely. Except for Dick and Alfred. Focusing back on the conversation, Bruce said, "I agree. Do you have anything in mind?"

Dick grinned nervously at him, and a feeling of dread gnawed at Bruce. I was thinking… Nightwing? Like the Kryptonian legend?

Bruce frowned, as Dick had known he would. Distastefully, Bruce said, "Ah… like Clark's old stories."

The now-former Boy Wonder rolled his eyes at Bruce. Yes, as a sort of tribute to him… and you. Nightwing was the Batman of Krypton. Besides, an owl is a bird that flies at night, so it kind of… represents that I've changed because of the Court, but that doesn't mean that they control me? If that makes sense?

Bruce saw what he was saying, and felt touched that Dick wanted his new name to be a tribute to him. "I understand. I kind of like it. Sounds more intimidating than Robin, too."

Dick nodded eagerly. However, Bruce, I don't want Nightwing to be a second Robin. Nightwing will be his own person, not the back half of Batman and-. And also… I was thinking about hanging out in Bludhaven some nights… maybe start preparing it to be my city one day. I'm not leaving the nest yet, Dad, but I need some more independence.

Bruce would have protested, but the fact that Dick had called him 'Dad' drew him back. Dick only called Bruce 'Dad' when he was completely serious, traumatized, or in an especially good mood. Bruce considered what Dick was asking him, and realized that it was sound. He was trying to begin being his own man without distancing himself while not hurting himself or Bruce, doing it in a reasonable manner, and setting a precedent for those who didn't want to take Roy Harper's impulsive route. After a few minutes of thinking, Batman nodded. "All right, but there will be conditions and I am still in charge of you, young man." Bruce had wondered if he would regret it, but was proven wrong when Dick graced him with a million-watt smile and vaulted effortlessly over the desk to hug him.

Two weeks later, Robin hadn't reappeared and a new vigilante partner of Batman, Nightwing, was flying over the streets of Gotham. It was a bit obvious what his previous identity had been, as it was meant to be.

A month later, Barbara Gordon became Batgirl after a twisted plot to save her father, Commissioner Gordon, from Poison Ivy.

A month after that, Batman found himself bringing a troubled street kid home to Dick and Alfred.

Half a month after that, Dick fastened a black and white domino mask over his little brother's eyes and gave him his blessing to be the Boy Wonder.

A week after that, a camera on a helicopter caught Batgirl and Nightwing kissing on top of the Wayne Enterprises building.

Two months after that, Nightwing rejoined Young Justice in his new persona, and was given leadership of the team. It was publically announced that he would join the Justice League as soon as he was a legal adult, and it became obvious to everyone that he would one day lead the Justice League as Batman's successor.

A month later, Nightwing helped found the Teen Titans in Jump City, and used zeta tubes to travel there on weekends to be their leader, a position filled by Cyborg acting with Nightwing's advice on weekdays.

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A single gray eye stared at the form of a boy clad in black armor with a stylized blue bird emblazoned on his chest flipped over rooftops in an effortlessly intense game of parkor with himself.

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Meanwhile, within a week on the adrift Watchtower 1.0, the Grandmaster was murdered by William Cobb, who assumed control of the Talons on the spaceship, and lead them in their boring lives of starving to death and being resurrected over and over and over again.

After a few months of relative silence where no one had anything to say to anyone else anymore, the Talons found that their voices had been damaged from prolonged disuse, and none of them could do anything more than grunt.

Sweet irony.

 **A/N** FIN! Omg, I'm so proud of myself, and of you guys, and it's been an amazing ride, with such supportive people surrounding me, and I love you all to death! I don't know whether Blue Knight or White Prince will be posted first, as it depends on whether I decide I want to write a one-shot or begin the sequel first. I'm gonna close my regular oneshot series, and begin a HTTYD genderbend. I talked about it last chapter in a shoutout, if you want more information, you can look at that. I'm also thinking of writing a genderbent Nightwing/Robin X Kaldur story. It'd be a bunch of out of order one-shots though, as right now I lack the patience for a structured story. Tell me if you like the idea!

TheChickenOfJustice: Oh, trust me, I remember that cliffhanger. I believe dearest Rick took the word 'cliffhanger' a bit too literally. Gaah, I have no wish to remember that time of extreme longing and angst. The end of SoN was incredibly frustrating too. Also, the newest Magnus Chase book said that it's bringing Percy and Annabeth into the series in book 3, and I'm like: YES! PERCY! NOW! GIMME! MORE PERCY! I don't like the Trials of Apollo much. Not enough Percy. Or Annabeth. Or Percabeth. I'll stop before I get into a straight-out rant now.

Star-The-Writer: I can't either! I'm so psyched! Now I just gotta develop a plotline… get ready for some serious Slade-ness. And less of a timeskip.

LifeRox3: Yeeeah. At first the Watchtower was gonna be blown up, but I decided to punish the Talons a bit more. I'm super excited for my own sequel, is that weird?

WhenUniversesCollide: Tt, fifteen chapters is huge for me. The issue with me isn't writing a good enough shorter story, it's getting the motivation and mental stamina to write more than 6 chapters. I tend to get reeeaaaallly slow at updating after 6, I've done a study on myself. And it's fourteen chapters and an epilogue! Gosh, I'm pretty sure the climax chapter wasn't an epilogue! Learn to count! JK, jk, it's fine, I'm joking, sarcasm doesn't transmit well through text.

SunSunTheRebirth: I'm excited too! It's gonna be epic!

Aquarica: People seem to love what I did to the Talons… hopefully you guys enjoyed the snippet of their eternal torment I provided.


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